TNAG-2146-FCO40-3065-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-1990 — Page 212

CONFIDENTIAL

HK C18212

BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION

HONG KONG.

302

R17/12

Mizo Magoder

Ms Mags to see

几

Richard Rodgers Esq

PEP 1

DTI

Mr Store

Mr FuMARY

Pa

26 November 1990

alterched

GF.

of Mr. McLaren

Mr Burns

Dean Richend, really? This does not bode well, from

HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT

a

A number I point I new

Woh

1. You will be aware that John Fletcher of Trafalgar House paid a brief visit to Hong Kong last week. He and Mick Adams of the Anglo-Japanese Contruction Co (AJC) came for a meeting to my house on Sunday (sic) 18 November. He had various meetings which included Sir David Ford and Mrs Anson Chan on the morning of 19 November and left that afternoon. him again at his hotel just before he left.

I saw

2. At our final session he said he had been concerned to learn that the need for Chinese endorsement of the project was more important than he had realised, since through the Land Commission they could block land being given even by the Hong Kong Government to the PADS development. I indicated that this was a complicated issue on which I would get clarification for him. I subsequently spoke to William Ehrman, the Political Adviser. He has responded in his enclosed letter of 22 November. You will see from this that the PRC authorities would have some ability to create problems through the Land Commission, but this is not anticipated, nor would the issue arise for some considerable time. Meanwhile there will be no impact on the programming of the project. Could you please pass this on to John Fletcher who I assume will welcome the clarification.

3. I learned from John Fletcher that their Japanese support seems less secure than ever. He said they had Mitsui support but at this stage not much else. That represents no advance from the position of 18 months ago. I assume it is likely that the rest of the Japanese will be bidding separately and that if there is any chance of an alliance it will come at the tendering or post-tendering stages. Please keep me in touch with developments on this. It is an aspect that it is hard to follow from here.

4.

*

I understand that John Fletcher told the Hong Kong authorities that they would be scaling down AJC's operation by pulling out Mick Adams from here and by reducing Sir G Manzie's involvement. Adams has already left but will be back again shortly before Christmas. His wife, who is from Hong Kong, has stayed on here.

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