TNAG-0422-FCO40-468-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 114

CONFIDENTIAL

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Sir D Watson

назы

Tel. agreed & set for despobit

ило

11/16/2

HONG KONG MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM

76

Dr Ste 29)

19/2

7. Good

·PA

N, C

Gandfella

1. You minuted on 14 February about the Hong Kong

Government's failure to provide us with the promised

Executive Council paper (which we have still not received).

2. Mr Haddon-Cave's statement in Hong Kong telegram No 178

refers to a decision in principle to build the railway.

This decision must have been taken by Executive Council,

presumably on the basis of the promised paper. It is

tiresome that we have not yet received it and I agree that

we should remind the Governor.

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3.

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27

Meanwhile we have received Christian telegram No 41

and EXCED No 7 in which Mr Aston reports that Mr Haddon-Cave

has written to the British Group proposing discussions at

the beginning of March. The DTI have not yet received these

telegrams, but have promised to consult us as soon as they

do. An immediate point for us is that the Italian and

Franco/German consortium proposals, about which we still

know virtually nothing, are still apparently very much in

the ring, as well as the Japanese. When we reminded the

Governor of the political (ie FCO) aspect of these other

bids he soothed us down with the promise of the ExCo paper.

We are therefore still none the wiser. I think we must try

to get him to give us something more on the political net.

4. I submit a draft personal telegram accordingly.

16 February 1973

cc: PS to Mr Royle

Desz

A C Stuart

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

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CONFIDENTIAL