TNAG-0423-FCO40-469-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 193

CONFIDENTIAL

3. I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ISSUE OF PACKAGE VERSUS OTHER

ALTERNATIVES, OF VARYING FRAGMENTATION, IS STILL FAR FROM . RESOLVED, AND MAY NOT BE, AT LEAST UNTIL HADDON-CAVES RETURN. SO, ALL IN ALL, EARLY DECISIONS, LIKELY TO BE IN THE UK INTEREST,

SEEM LESS LIKELY THAN WHEN YOU WERE HERE.

4. ASTON SAW THIS TELEGRAM IN DRAFT BEFORE I LEFT HONG KONG,

BY

TO PRESERVE STRICT, CONFIDENTIALITY, I AM COPYING THIS TO HIM BỶ

BAG ONLY. FURTHER DELICATE INFORMATION WILL REACH YOU THIS WEEK

BY BAG.

5. GRATEFUL FOR ANY INSTRUCTIONS FOR MY TALKS WITH OZU, AS

SEEN FROM HERE, MY ROLE WILL BE TO PRESS HIM FOR AUTHORITATIVE

VIEWS ON THE JAPANESE OFFICIAL ATTITUDE, TO PROFESS THAT THERE

HAS BEEN NO DEVELOPMENT IN THE UK CONSORTIUM POSITION AND TO BE

NON-COMMITTAL ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A JOINT OPERATION. IF

QUESTIONED ABOUT GKN, I SHOULD PROPOSE TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE PUT

NOTHING DETAILED TO US AND THAT CONSEQUENTLY WE HAVE OFFERED

NOTHING TO THEM.

TURPIN.

EXCED DISTRIBUTION SEAD

HILIC)

-2-

CONFIDENTIAL