TNAG-0636-FCO40-784-Supplies-of-electricity-for-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 70

GR 195

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG Ø60845Z

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO BTC 55 OF 6 JUNE.

INFO IMMEDIATE DOT (CRE4).

RE:

- 8 JUie 1977

HKK 1641

кк

PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING IMMEDIATE TO MCDONALD 1C2 D01.

YOUR TELS BTC 40 AND 41 OF 4 JUNE,

HONG KONG POWER STATION PROJECT.

8118

I HAVE PASSED THE PROPOSALS TO SIR LAWRENCE AND SIR SIDNEY

GORDON. THEY WELCOME A VISIT BY LIPPITT AND HIS TEAM IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 20 JUNE. INITIAL REACTION WAS FAVOURABLE BUT SIR LAWRENCE REPEATED HIS ASSESSMENT THAT THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IS TO PROMOTE A DIRECT HMG INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND HE, THEREFORE, EXPECTS THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME WILL CONTINUE. TO BE SUPERVISED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY. SIR SIDNEY CORDON STRESSED THAT THE KEY ELEMENT REMAINS THE FINAL COST CIF PER KW OF INSTALLED CAPACITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ANY GENUINE BID WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED FROM AN OPEN TENDER, HE WELCOMED THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CENTRAL ELECTRICITY GENERATING BOARD AS VITAL TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH INTRODUCTION OF NEW AND MODERN EQUIPMENT.

BOTH HE AND SIR LAWRENCE WERE ATTRACTED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF UK INVESTMENT (YOUR PARA IX).

2. I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR YOU AND A LAZARD'S OFFICIAL TO COME TO HONG KONG IN THE WEEK BEGINNING JUNED 13. AS SOON AS YOU CONFIRM DATES AND LENGTH OF VISIT I WILL MAKE HOTEL BOOKINGS, GRATEFUL FOR EARLY INDICATION OF DATES AND NUMBERS OF LIPPITT'S

MISSION.

3. A CONSIDERED RESPONSE WILL FOLLOW IN 48 HOURS.

MARCH

FILES

#КУЙД

COPIE S TO

CRE4 · DOT 102 DoI

CONFIDENTIAL

91

1