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CONFIDENTIAL
130020
MDHIAN 1533
ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP THEN THERE WILL BE VERY VOCAL PUBLIC OPPOSITION. MANY WILL CERTAINLY ASSERT THAT THE CONTRACT IS NOT BEING GIVEN TO THE KOREANS AS PART OF A PLOT TO PUSH THE AIRPORT PROJECTS BRITAIN'S WAY.
8. IT REMAINS HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF OUR CONFLICTING INFORMATION. WHEN I REPORTED SIMILAR DIFFERENCES IN MY TUR I THOUGHT PERHAPS ON OF THE SOURCES WAS A LITTLE OUT OF DATE IN A FAST MOVING SCENE. NOW I SUSPECT THERE MAY BE SOME
DISINFORMATION. MY GUESS IS THAT THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP ARE ALMOST THERE. IT SEEMS VERY LIKELY THAT NO DISCUSSIONS HAVE TAKEN
PLACE WITH THE FRENCH LED GROUP FOR SOME TIME. I SUSPECT THAT HYUNDAI ARE STILL AT THE TABLE BUT IN A LESS AND LESS COMFORTABLE
POSITION AND THAT A DECISION, AT ANY RATE AT THE VERY TOP OF THE ADMINISTRATION, HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE. TO KEEP THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP AND US ON OUR TOES WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT IT IS STILL A CLOSE RUN THING, EVEN THOUGHT WE ARE BEING TOLD DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT WHO IS THE MAIN RIVAL.
9. MINISTERS WILL NO DOUBT WISH TO PROBE THE GOVERNOR FURTHER.
WHEN I RAISED IT WITH HIM HE SIMPLY SAID THAT IT HAD NOT YET
REACHED HIS DESK AND HE KNEW NOTHING OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT
OTHERS HAVE TOLD US THAT ALL SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR, HAVE BEEN KEPT CLOSELY INFORMED THROUGHOUT RECENT WEEKS. IT SEEMS HOWEVER THAT BY THE
TIME LORD WILSON RETURNS TO HONG KONG FROM HIS LONDON VISIT AT
THE END OF NEXT WEEK A DECISION WILL HAVE BEEN MADE (IF INDEED IT HAS NOT BEEN MADE ALREADY). THIS COULD BE WRONG CLEARLY, BUT I HOPE THE GOVERNOR WILL BE ABLE TO CONFIRM TO MINISTERS THAT THE
CONTRACT IS LIKELY TO GO THE WAY OF THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP.
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