IN CONFIDENCE
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CABINET OFFICE
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Mr Richelts HKD Grateful for draft letter
70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS
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Telephone 071-270 0101 Facsimile 071-270 0208
From the Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service Sir Robin Butler GCB CVO
Mr Ricketts HKD (agai)
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Jacaw Becker
AP://PUS
615193.
Ref:
A093/1488
Mr Ricketts is carnulting
PUSA.
5 May 1993
2015
My dear David,
DAVID GILLMORE
Sir Ronnie Grierson: CNT Holdings, Hong Kong
Ronnie Grierson called on me this evening for a piece of personal advice. He has been on the Board of the company headed by Mr T T Tsui in Hong Kong, CNT Holdings (formerly China Paint Company). He is aware that Mr Tsui, who has been a considerable benefactor to various causes in this country, has been noisy in his opposition to the constitutional proposals of the Governor of Hong Kong, that Henry Keswick is publicly critical of Mr Tsui and that Akers-Jones is a colleague on the Board of CNT Holdings. All this he regards as part of the lively politics of Hong Kong and it does not worry him. He asked me, however, whether anything seriously was known to the discredit of Mr Tsui or the company, which should make him reconsider his position as a member of the Board.
I said that I would make enquiries for him. I said that I might not be able to be specific in any reply which I gave him, and Ronnie Grierson made it clear that he was not expecting me to be. He would simply like to know if for any reason we would advise him that he should not continue as a member of the Board of this company. would not of course reveal that he has had any advice from HMG.
Can you help?
Sir David Gillmore KCMG
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Your evar,
Robin
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