HK K 21/8
10
Reference...
La chass
Mr. Kinnear
Hong Kong Underground Railway
I discussed this with Mr. Haddon-Cave this morning. He made it quite clear that he personally is against the project. He thinks that it will be far too expensive for Hong Kong. I am not sure whether he was reflecting the views of Sir J. Cowperthwaite or whether what he said represented his own thoughts.
2. In any case he said that even if it was decided to go ahead with this scheme a decision could not be taken until, at the earliest, the end of 1971. You will see that this conflicts with what Mr. Blackwell was told by Mr. Shephard. I think we must/accept that what Mr. Haddon-Cave said is probably much nearer the mark than what Mr. Shephard said. Developing his ideas Mr. Haddon-Cave thought that it would be much better for the Hong Kong authorities to tackle the transport problems in the Colony by accelerating their road building programme and also by introducing strict parking regulations and steep charges for parking in those areas set aside for the purpose. We shall have to report to both the Board of Trade and Mr. Blackwell what Mr. Haddon-Cave told me.
3. I went on to ask Mr. Haddon-Cave about the activities of the Japanese in Hong Kong. He told me that the Chinese were very worried about the dangers of a Japanese takeover of the Hong Kong economy. They disliked the Japanese intensely. This should help British firms to gain contracts (As DFS Mr. Haddon-Cave 18, incidentally, Chairman of the Tenders Board) and Mr. Haddon-Cave volunteered the information that British firms do in fact have a considerable pull in Hong Kong. For one thing, it is much easier for them to go and talk to officers in the various Government Departments. We have not seen much sign of this but it may be that
the Hong Kong Government will look at low tenders rather more carefully in the future than they have done in the past. Mr. Haddon-Cave said that the French had put in a claim for £40 m. (this seems an awful lot of money, but I am pretty sure he said pounds and not dollars) in connection with the Plover Cove Reservoir. The Government had done their best to get out of this claim but had already paid some £30 m. (? % ). They were now tightening up considerably the rules for claims in contract documents. Mr. Haddon-Cave thought that the Japanese were also not loth to adopt such tactics.
Would you
4. I have dictated this minute hurriedly. please now prepare for Mr. Blackwell, copied to the Board of Trade, setting out the facts in a logical order.
ایک شان
Draft Letter to Blackwell Leveinelt
نفسك
EX.
E. O. Laird
Hong Kong Department
9 October, 1970
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