R7271/11
Miso Maradon Mr Stonfor M. FURY KISS
29%
香港
督府
Ps (hard Carilliners
Mr Buns
Раш
Mhe Paul,
Mr
HR)
A good riporte
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
HONG KONG
20 November 1990
Gordon
bcc Mr R JT McLaren
287x1
CS
FS
SES
PA
HKC 182/2
(~233)
CAD1990
Thank you for your letter of 9 November.
I know that Anglo Japanese Construction, and yourself in particular, have kept in close touch with senior officials of the Hong Kong Government, as you have prepared to make bids for the various elements of the new airport project. I have welcomed this. I was not aware, however, that you were in any way
encouraged by Hong Kong Government officials to put in pre-emptive bids. The subject did not come up during my meeting with you last February.
I should like you to be clear about the reasoning behind David Ford's recent advice to you that the Hong Kong Government would prefer not to receive a pre-emptive bid for the airport platform.
This informal advice took into consideration a number of factors. On the practical side, we felt that it would be difficult for you to make such a bid when decisions on the layout and size of the platform had not yet been made. For the same reason, we had no way of assessing what would be a fair price for the work. We therefore thought it necessary to warn you that, if such a bid were made, it would have to be put aside until we were in a position to judge it against competitive bids. We were aware that there might be an adverse impact in some quarters in the UK if a British backed bid was put on ice in this way. Finally, we had to take into account the likely Chinese reaction, at the present delicate stage of our discussions with them on the airport, to a pre-emptive bid by a largely British group. You are doubtless familiar with the Chinese mythology that the airport project has been dreamed up by the Hong Kong Government as a way of channelling Hong Kong's reserves into the coffers of British firms before 1997.
•
283
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.