TNAG-0947-FCO40-1166-Oil-developments-in-and-around-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 133

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arrange the supply of the necessary machinery and equipment for extraction and the marketing of the coal in third countries.

10. It was useful for us to get an oil industry view of proS- pects in offshore China and the possible role of Hong Kong and, hopefully, for British industry. BP emphasised that it was too early to make any predictions or to take any firm decisions and they clearly attach enormous importance to getting the right indications from the Chinese. We undertook to keep in touch with BP and no doubt they will be surfacing in Hong Kong and Peking. If there is anything which you, Derek March or Trevor Mound think that we can do which might be useful vis-à-vis the oil companies, we would of course be delighted to play a role. We shall certainly keep in touch with Macfarlane and may also have a word with Shell at an appropriate moment.

P Morrice

Hong Kong and General Department

cc: FED

ESSD

D M March Esq OBE, BTC, Hong Kong TEJ Mound Esq OBE, Peking

Mrs M Gingell, CRE4, DOT

CONFIDENTIAL