BY BAG
FM FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
18 JAN 1974
HKK 6/598/
10
MAG
SAVING TELEGRAM
Kuker + PA
MTRS
(HK)
KER-GSP
TO HONG KONG TELNO 2 SAVING OF 16 JANUARY 1974
CALL ON MR BLAKER BY SIR Y K KAN.
1. SIR Y K KAN CALLED ON 15 JANUARY. HE WAS RELATIVELY SUBDUED, AND
WE UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAD BEEN ADVISED BY YOU TO MAKE HIS APPROACH IN
A LOW KEY.
VISAS FOR BUSINESSMEN FROM COMMUNIST COUNTRIES
181
2. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN REPROACHED IN HUNGARY AND POLAND. DUR ING
HIS RECENT VISIT, WITH THE DIFFICULTIES OF BONA FIDE BUSINESSMIN FROM
IRON CURTAIN COUNTRIES IN GETTING VISAS FOR HONG KONG. HE UNDERSTOOD
THE REASONS BUT THERE WERE UNACCÈPTABLE DELAYS, WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED TO
THE NEED FOR HONG KONG TO CONSULT HMG. WE MADE IT PLAIN THAT THE DECISION
RESTED WITH YOU AND THAT OUR JOINT JUDGMENT WAS THAT RESTRICTIONS WERE
IN HONG KONG'S OWN BEST INTEREST.
LASS TRANSIT
3. BIR Y K KAN SAID THAT HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES WERE AS DISAPPOINTED
AS HMG ABOUT THE FASS TRANSIT DECISION, THE EXCO MERTING HAD BEEN
UNPRECEDENTEDLY LONG, HE PERSONALLY THOUGHT IT A PITY THAT, IF THI
CONTRACT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HMG, THE PROCEDURE OF OPEN TENDER HAD BEEN
ADOPTED. NO-ONE HAD EVER QUESTIONED THIS PROCEDURE UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE,
HE DID NOT THINK IT LEGITIMATE FOR THE UK TO QUESTION THIS AFTER THE
CVENT, FOR HONG KONG THE CEILING PRICE WAS VITAL TO ASSURE A LOW WARD
STRUCTURE. THE JAPANESE BID WAS BY A CONSORTIUM OF THE BIGGEST PIRMS IN
JAPAN. EXCO HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY MUST STICK TO THEIR PRICH,
LATER HE SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THE LOWEST ANGLO-ITALIAN PRICE MIGHT BE BELCT
T!? HONG KONG CEILING, THEY COULD NOT WAIT FOR THIS. WHEN THE JAPANESE
PUT A DEADLINE ON THEIR PRE-EMPTIVE BID, THEY MEANT WHAT THEY SAID. 18
WAS SURE THAT WHEN JAPAN SPOKE OF "FORCE MAJEURE", THEY MEANT THE USUALLY
ACCEPTED MEANING OF THIS PHRAON, HONG KONG WOULD INSIST ON THIS.
BC-GSP
!!
BIR Y K KAW SAID THAT DESPITE MR DAVIES'S UNDERTAKING, THE HONG
KOUG MERCHANTS WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED. HE HAD BEEN PRESSED TO TAKE
THIS UP IN LONDON BUT HAD SAID THAT HE SAW LITTLE POINT IN THIS.
*5. MR BLAKER SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE GSP QUESTION
FROM HIS DAYS AS CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG PARLIAMENTARY GROUP.
MR DAVIES'S STATEMENT SHOULD BE REGARDED AS IMPORTANT. WE WERE
/CONSIDERING
CONFIDENTIAL
4
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