PERSUNAL,
AND
2 -
27 March 1991
The link made in the article between the multi-fibre agreement and the awarding of contracts to American firms did not come
Indeed Robert Tyerman tried that thought on me and I said I thought it highly implausible.
from me.
Please be assured that although I do everything I can to encourage British exports to Hong Kong and British investment in Hong Kong, and although I sometimes lament that our market share here is not larger, I do not believe, and I do not say to anyone, that contracts are unfairly unfluenced by political or other considerations. Which is not to say that there cannot be occasions when political factors cannot legitimately be taken into account.) Certainly nothing I said to Robert Tyerman could have given him reason to think that.
I fear that the press do come after me rather a lot. Happily since most of the subjects with which I deal are rather dull, I nevertheless do not get quoted very often. But when I am, as I am sure you know much better than me, there is a risk, as seems to have happened in this case, that one's comments are considerably spiced up or misreported or, as happens with the local press here, the modest levels of English of the reporters means that they can get things badly wrong. May I plead 'not guilty'?
yours.ever,
Pelá
PW Heap
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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