B.1
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG TO PRIORITY DTI
TELNO INTRA 55
OF 090945Z MARCH 92
AND TO PRIORITY FCO
INFO ROUTINE TOKYO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 182/3
Pa
913
43
152477
MDLIAN 0070
TOP COPY Q DIST?
FOR HALL. HEAD OF PEP.
HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT: THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT.
1.
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS CLEARLY WILL BE CRITICAL IN DETERMINING THE OUTCOME OF THIS CONTRACT. SIR GORDON MANZIE OF THE TRAFALGAR HOUSE LED GROUP WAS HERE LAST WEEK AND IS LIKELY TO BE COMING AGAIN THIS WEEK. THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING TALKS AT VARIOUS LEVELS WITH THOSE CONCERNED IN THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION. THESE SEEM TO HAVE GONE QUITE WELL.
2.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIDS WERE DISCUSSED AT THE CENTRAL TENDER BOARD ON FRIDAY 6 MARCH. AS USUAL MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION ARE BEING VERY TIGHT-LIPPED AND I HAVE NO HARD INFORMATION ON WHAT WAS AT STAKE, AND STILL LESS OF WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I SUSPECT THEY WOULD HAVE AGREED TO ELIMINATE THE JAPANESE BID SINCE IT WAS THE HIGHEST AND WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED, BUT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE REACHED A DECISION, HOW TO HANDLE THE KOREAN BID WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANTLY THE LOWEST PRICE.
3. THERE IS CLEARLY STILL SOME CONCERN ON THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION SIDE OVER THE TRAFALGAR HOUSE GROUP'S REMAINING CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO THEIR BID, EVEN ALTHOUGH THESE HAVE BEEN MUCH REDUCED FROM THE ORIGINAL LIST. OUR BEST HOPE ON THESE IS THAT THE FRENCH LED GROUP HAVE SIMILAR CONDITIONS.
4
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AT A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH SIR DAVID FORD, CHIEF SECRETARY, ON SUNDAY 8 MARCH HE SAID THAT THEIR PLAN WAS TO REACH A DECISION IN MID APRIL AND TO ANNOUNCE IT ON 2 MAY. I SAID I HAD SEEN A REFERENCE FROM THE GOVERNOR TO A PLAN TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING IN MID APRIL. HE REAFFIRMED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE MADE ON 2 MAY. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE KOREAN BID GAVE THEM A REAL PROBLEM. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A VERY BOLD MAN WHO WOULD AWARD SUCH A CRITICAL CONTRACT TO THE KOREANS (WITH THE IMPLICATION I ASSUME THAT HE WOULD NOT FAVOUR THE KOREANS GETTING IT, BUT CLEARLY ALSO
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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