CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY DTI
TELNO OTTER 45
OF 31094OZ JANUARY 91
INFO ROUTINE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
Hil 182 13.
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
32
176222
MDLIAN 5049
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PERSONAL FOR ADAMS, HEAD OF PEP AND PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HEAD OF HKD, FCO
HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT AND GORDON WU
1. GORDON WU, HEAD OF HOPEWELL, TELEPHONED ME ON 30 JANUARY IN A STATE OF SOME AGITATION TO SAY THAT STUART ELLIOT, HIS NUMBER TWO, HAD JUST LEARNED FROM A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SOURCE THAT THEY WERE TO BE PRE-QUALIFIED FOR THE SMALLER BRIDGE BUT WOULD NOT BE PRE-QUALIFIED FOR THE LARGER BRIDGE IN THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING. THIS HE SAID UPSET HIM. HE HAD KEPT VERY QUIET ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AS HE HAD PROMISED, BUT HE STILL THOUGHT THERE WERE A LOT OF FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS AND UNNECESSARY COSTS IN THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL AND HE COULD MAKE A LOT OF TROUBLE OVER THESE. TO NOT QUALIFY HIS GROUP, WHICH CONTAINED BRITISH ELEMENTS, FOR THE LARGE BRIDGE, WAS 'A KICK IN THE TEETH' FROM THE HKG. IF HE WAS NOT PRE-QUALIFIED HE WOULD HAVE A LOT TO SAY THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO EMBARRASS THE GOVERNMENT.
2. I SAID THAT I DOUBTED THAT ANY OFFICIAL DECISIONS ON PRE- QUALIFICATION HAD YET BEEN MADE AND PRESUMABLY HIS INFORMATION WAS THEREFORE SPECULATIVE. NOR WAS THERE ANYTHING I COULD DO. MY EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF BRITISH COMPANIES WHO HAD NOT PRE-QUALIFIED ON PARTS OF THIS PROJECT HAD MET WITH SHARP RESPONSES. MOREOVER IF I OR ANYONE ELSE WERE TO TRY TO INTERVENE AT THIS STAGE, BEFORE ANY PRE-QUALIFICATION DECISIONS WERE ANNOUNCED, ON HOPEWELL'S BEHALF, THEN IT WOULD PROBABLY DO THEM MORE HARM THAN GOOD. GORDON WU SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT IN ANY EVENT I SHOULD KNOW HIS VIEWS, AND THAT HE WOULD STIR THINGS UP IF HE AND HIS GROUP OF GOOD-QUALITY COMPANIES WERE NOT PRE-QUALIFIED.
3. I DO NOT THINK GORDON WE EXPECTED ANYTHING MUCH FROM ME AND WAS PROBABLY LARGELY LOOKING FOR A SHOULDER TO CRY ON. I REPORT IT ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS IMPLIED THREATS TO MAKE DIFFICULTIES. THESE WERE UNSPECIFIED BUT PRESUMABLY COULD INCLUDE PERSUADING
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CONFIDENTIAL
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