RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 311
OF 010345Z NOVEMBER 91
INFO IMMEDIATE DTI, ECGD
INFO ROUTINE TOKYO AND PEKING
RESTRICTED
MAB (20
TOP COPY Q DIST?
Fr
122670
MDHIAN 0139
DTI FOR ADAMS, HEAD, PEP.
TOKYO AND PEKING FOR BAYNE AND BROADBENT.
MY TELNO 302: HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT: FINANCIAL PROPOSALS AND MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT.
SUMMARY
1. THE GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY HAVE VOICED CONCERN THAT THE BRITISH LED GROUP BIDDING FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT HAS HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE HKG ON THE FINANCIAL PROPOSALS AND HAVE STRESSED THAT NO BID IS LIKELY TO SUCCEED WITHOUT AN ACCEPTABLE FINANCIAL PACKAGE.
DETAILS
2. IN PARA 2 OF MY TUR I REPORTED THAT THERE WAS CONCERN AT A HIGH LEVEL IN THE HKG THAT NO ONE FROM THE UK HAD MADE ANY RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR THE FINANCIAL PROPOSALS TO ACCOMPANY THE BID FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE, AND THAT THIS WAS BEING CONTRASTED ADVERSELY WITH FRENCH AND JAPANESE TEAMS WHO HAD BEEN HERE FOR DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THESE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS.
3. THE SAME POINT WAS MADE SEPARATELY ON 31 OCTOBER BY BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND BY YEUNG, SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, AT MEETINGS WITH BAYNE (DUS) AND BROADBENT (CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER) OF THE FCO. BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND YEUNG MENTIONED THE DETAILED DISCUSSION WITH THE JAPANESE AND FRENCH TEAMS AND THEY SAID THEY WONDERED WHETHER THE ABSENCE OF ANY PARALLEL BRITISH APPROACH SHOWED A LACK OF INTEREST OR SERIOUS INTENT ON THE PART OF TRAFALGAR HOUSE AND COSTAIN. BOTH STRESSED THAT A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL PROPOSALS WILL BE REQUIRED OF A SUCCESSFUL BID FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT.
4.
THIS IS DISTURBING. I WAS NOT PRESENT AT EITHER MEETING SO
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.