CONFIDENTIAL
072304
MDLIAN 9284
HKC 18212
RECEIVED IN
15 MAY 1990
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY DTI
TELNO OTTER 97
OF 080911Z MAY 90
INFO PRIORITY FCO, PEKING, TOKYO
FOR PEP
?
MY TELNO OTTER 92 AND YOUR TELNO OTTER 87: HONG KONG AIRPORT
PROJECT
SUMMARY
1. A VISIT BY SIR GORDON MANZIE TO PEKING TO TRY TO FURTHER
CHINESE ENDORSEMENT OF THE HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT WOULD BE
WELCOME IN PRINCIPLE ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT BE DIFFICULTIES IN ARRANGING A MEETING WITH LI PENG. IT MIGHT BE BEST TO WAIT FOR SOME
WEEKS. MEANWHILE CERTAIN CHINESE AUTHORITIES CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE
STUDYING THE PROJECT AND THAT THEY ACCEPT IT IN PRINCIPLE.
DETAIL
2. AS FORECAST IN MY FIRST TUR (PARA 3) DURING MY 3 TO 7 MAY VISIT TO PEKING, I DISCUSSED WITH SIR A DONALD AND HIS COMMERCIAL STAFF THE POSSIBLE VISIT BY SIR G MANZIE TO PEKING FOR A MEETING
WITH LI PENG.
3. WE AGREED THAT THE ANALOGY WITH THE SIR R DAVIDSON VISIT WAS
NOT EXACT. DAVIDSON WAS SUMMONED TO PEKING BY CHINESE OFFICIALS AND
FOUND TO HIS SURPRISE WHEN THERE THAT HE WAS ALSO SHOWN INTO LI
PENG. AT THE TIME LI PENG WANTED DAVIDSON'S AND GEC'S SUPPORT FOR
PROJECTS IN CHINA AND FOR THE ATP PROGRAMME. IN SIR G MANZIE'S CASE
BE MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH LI PENG IN ADVANCE.
THE BEST WAY TO PLAY THIS THEREFORE MIGHT BE TO HAVE SIR G MANZIE
VISIT PEKING WITH MEETINGS PRE ARRANGED BY THE EMBASSY WITH
OFFICIALS LIKELY TO BE INTERESTED IN THE AIRPORT PROJECT E.G. AT
THE STATE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE, AND TO LET IT BE KNOWN THAT HE IS AVAILABLE IF LI PENG WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM. WE ASSUME SIR G MANZIE WOULD PUT OUT
SIMILAR FEELERS THEN AND BEFOREHAND THROUGH HIS OWN CONTACTS AND BASED UPON HIS EARLIER ACQUAINTANCESHIP WITH LI PENG AND WITH HIS WIFE. WE COULD HOPE THAT THESE COMBINED EFFORTS COULD LEAD TO A MEETING.
4.
IN ANY EVENT SIR G MANZIE WOULD BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE CHINA'S
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