B.1
46
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 458
OF 1012OOZ MAR 92
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 182/3
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Pa
157237 MDLOAN 9765
?11/3
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 717: CONTRACT FOR DESIGN OF AIRPORT TERMINAL
BUILDING: COMMENTS BY LU PING
1. THANK YOU FOR THIS USEFUL
CLARIFICATION OF THE BID BY MOTT.
WE WERE NOT AWARE HERE THAT THE REPORTS IN THE HONG KONG PRESS THAT THE MOTT BID WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE WERE IN FACT
INACCURATE. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOW TOO LATE TO GET ANY USEFUL CORRECTION INTO THE BRITISH PRESS, WHICH CARRIED THIS NEWS STORY.
2. IT IS HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THE AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE WERE BRIEFED ON THE DECISION. ALTHOUGH WE AGREE THAT UNDER THE MOU NO FORMAL NOTIFICATION TO THE CHINESE WAS NECESSARY, WE WONDER WHETHER IT WOULD NOT, IN FUTURE CASES, BE WORTH INFORMALLY BRIEFING THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE, BEFORE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, AS PART OF THE GENERAL PROCESS OF GIVING THEM MORE INFORMATION THAN IS STRICTLY REQUIRED, IN THE HOPE OF BUILDING UP A SMOOTH AND PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP. THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE MAY HAVE FELT EXPOSED TO CRITICISM
FROM THEIR AUTHORITIES FOR FAILING TO ALERT THEM TO THIS POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL NEWS ITEM.
3. ARE WE RIGHT TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE INTERPRETING THE REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT THE CHINESE ABOUT MAJOR AIRPORT-RELATED FRANCHISES OR CONTRACTS STRADDLING 1997 (MOU PARA C(I)) AS INCLUDING GRANTS MADE BY THE PAA AND MTRC, IE NOT JUST THOSE MADE BY HKG ITSELF?
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
30
DISTRIBUTION
34
.HONG KONG AIRPORT RESTRICTED
HKD
LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS
PLANNERS//HD
RAD//MR WYE
PS
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CONFIDENTIAL