TNAG-2352-FCO40-3422-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 69

CONFIDENTIAL

192

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1331

OF 1818OOZ JULY 91

нио

HKо 026//TOP COPY

RECENS

Q DIST?

15 JUL 1991

104322

MDHOAN 7451

YOUR TELNOS 2179 AND 2290: LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT : BRIEFING ON THE LIQUIDATION OF BCC (HONG KONG)

1. IF THE LIQUIDATION OF BCC HONG KONG IS STILL A LIVE ISSUE WHEN LORD CAITHNESS IS IN HONG KONG NEXT WEEK, HE MAY BE TACKLED ON THE CLOSURE AND SUGGESTIONS MAY BE MADE THAT THE

BANK OF ENGLAND WAS SOMEHOW AT FAULT FOR NOT HAVING ACTED SOONER.

2.

WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN ANYTHING IN THE PRESS TO SUGGEST THAT THINKING IS MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION IN HONG KONG. BUT NEITHER ARE WE FAMILIAR WITH THE EXACT POSITION OF BCC HONG KONG AND ITS PARENT BCCI. WE WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PREPARE A LINE TO TAKE FOR LORD CAITHNESS FOR HIS ARRIVAL AND ALSO TO LET US KNOW WHETHER THERE IS ANY POTENTIAL FOR HMG TO BE DRAGGED IN. IF ASKED, OUR CURRENT LINE IS THAT THIS IS ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES.

HURD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

26

LIMITED

HKD

NEWS D

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

26

PS/LORD CAITHNESS

MR BURNS

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CONFIDENTIAL