RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 05120OZ FCO
OF 05101OZ MAY 92
TELNO 129
AND TO DESKBY
05120OZ INTRA
INFO ROUTINE SEOUL, TOKYO
FCO FOR RICKETTS, HKD.
RESTRICTED
нка HKA 182/3
106
155771
MDHIAN 2676
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
Pa
DTI FOR HALL, HEAD OF PEP.
(102) 103
MY TELNOS 12 AND 12%: HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT: MAIN BRIDGE
CONTRACT.
1. EXCO WERE INFORMED OF THE OUTCOME ON THE AWARD OF THIS
CONTRACT THIS MORNING 5 MAY. THE CHINESE ARE BEING INFORMED THIS AFTERNOON AT A BRIEFING BY K.Y. YEUNG FOR BOTH TEAMS OF THE JLG, BUT MEETING AS THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE, AT WHICH ALAN PAUL WILL REPRESENT THE BRITISH SIDE.
2. THE GOVERNOR HAS TOLD ME IN CONFIDENCE, AND NOT THEREFORE HE SAID FOR REPETITION, THAT EXCO APPROVED THE AWARD. THIS THEREFORE REMOVES THE LAST POSSIBLE OBSTACLE, EVEN ALTHOUGH CONSTITUTIONALLY EXCO'S FORMAL APPROVAL WAS NOT REQUIRED. LORD WILSON ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE REMAINING HOOPS, CONSISTING OF INFORMING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF LEGCO, INFORMING THE AIRPORT CONSULATIVE GROUP, AND MAKING A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CHOICE OF CONSORTIUM WOULD TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY 7 MAY. HE SAID I WOULD
NOT BE INFORMED OF THE WINNING GROUP MYSELF UNTIL THE TIME OF PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. IN RESPONSE TO MY QUESTIONS HE SAID THAT MINISTERS WOULD BE INFORMED BY TELEGRAM TODAY, 5 MAY. THUS ALTHOUGH I AM NOT BEING TOLD, THE IDENTITY OF THE VICTORIOUS CONSORTIUM WILL BE KNOWN AUTHORITATIVELY TO HMG, BOTH THROUGH THE HKG TELEGRAM AND THROUGH THE JLG TODAY.
3.
MEANWHILE SIR GORDON MANZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ANGLO JAPANESE CONSORTIUM HAS TELEPHONED ME FROM LONDON TO ASK HOW THINGS STAND, AND WHETHER I THOUGHT HE SHOULD BE HERE THIS WEEK. I TOLD HIM THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD NO OFFICIAL INFORMATION I HAD NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP WOULD BE THE WINNERS AND THAT THIS WOULD BE ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY. I SAID I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE THAT HE OR SOME OTHER SENIOR MEMBER OF THE GROUP WERE HERE AT THE TIME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. AT AN APPROXIMATE VALUE OF
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