TNAG-0565-FCO40-660-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 44

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CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG TELNO CREDA 181 OF 8 OCTOBER. PERSONAL FOR KINNEAR FROM ROBERTS: MASS TRANSIT.

ECGD HAVE NOW REPORTED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE INDICATING THAT, WHILE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF OUR OFFER WERE MORE FAVOURABLE THAN THOSE OF COMPETITORS, ONLOCAL COSTS THE BRITISH PACKAGE WAS LESS FAVOURABLE THAN THE JAPANESE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S RESPONSE WAS THAT HE ATTACHED TH E HIGHEST PRIORITY TO OUR SECURING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CONTRACTS WITHIN THE SCHEME AND THAT HE WOULD

WISH TO SEE US MATCHING THE TERMS OF ANY FOREIGN COMPETITOR. HE

HAS ASKED ECGD TO TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THE TREASURY IMMEDIATELY AND IF THEY ARE STILL RELUCTANT TO CONCEDE AN IMPROVED OFFER, HE WOULD BE WILLING TO INTERVENE IN THE STRONGEST TERMS.

CALLAGHAN

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