673
A
B, C
C
Sir E Youde
AKA 431/34317
RECONE A RISK KO. 21
•
27 APR 1981
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
Youge $174.
INDEX
PA
pa. A 24/4
CALL BY MR JOHN BREMRIDGE OBE, FINANCIAL SECRETARY (DESIGNATE), HONG KONG : 11.15 AM, 23 APRIL 1981
1. I attach a copy of Mr Bremridge's programme, a biographical note and notes on a number of topics for his call on you.
Arrangements for Mr Bremridge
2. Mr Bremridge expects to arrive in Hong Kong in the second week of May and will take over from Sir P Haddon-Cave on 1 June. He is at present undertaking briefing in London. He has spent a fortnight with the Bank of England and has called at the Depart- ments of Trade and Industry, the Treasury and the Home Office. He called on Mr Blaker on 8 April.
General Points
نف
3. Mr Bremridge is very much feeling his way and is naturally reluctant to commit himself on points of financial or other policy. He would appreciate a general survey of FCO views on the political relationship between Hong Kong and the UK, and in general terms on the problem of the future of Hong Kong, which exercises him a good deal.
4.
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Mr Bremridge's main preoccupation seems to be with the replacement airport he believes it will not be possible to finance this without some bankable assurance from the Chinese on the future of Hong Kong paragraphs 3-6 of the notes.
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Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Bid for Royal Bank of Scotland (if raised)
5.
The Mergers Panel of the Office of Fair Trading met on 21 April. The Director-General is considering whether the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and Standard Chartered bids should be referred to the Monopolies Commission. There is no question of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank bid being referred on its own. We have made clear the serious consequences of a rejection of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank bid on the grounds of the Bank's
'non-British' status.
Дир
22 April 1981
R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department
CONFIDENTIAL COVERIN G SECRET
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Private notes are available after approval.