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HKA 182/3
TOP COPY Q DIST?
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FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 567
OF 220908Z APRIL 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE DTI INTRA
AND TO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
CORRECTED VERSION TEXT LINE 3 - REFERENCE TELNO
83
123115
MDHIAN 1243
FCO FOR HKD
DTI FOR HALL, HEAD OF PEP
OUR TELNO 63 INTRA: HONGKONG AIRPORT: MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT
1.
IN A SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT THE MINISTER RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL ON 17 APRIL FROM THE SEMI-RETIRED, DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER OF CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION, ZHANG FUDE. HE IS A FORMER BRITISH COUNCIL PROTEGE WHO HAS SPENT TIME IN THE UK. HE WANTED TO
RAISE 'THE MAJOR BRIDGE PROJECT' CONNECTED WITH THE NEW HONG KONG AIRPORT. HE HAD HEARD FROM HIS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ABOUT A VISIT TO PEKING OF A UK DELEGATION CONCERNED WITH THIS PROJECT. CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE WERE SUBCONTRACTORS TO THE KOREAN COMPANY WHOSE TENDER BID FOR THE PROJECT HAD BEEN THE LOWEST. HOWEVER, HIS COLLEAGUES IN HONG KONG WERE NOW WONDERING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
STRIKING UP AN ALTERNATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UK COMPANY WHOSE
CONSORTIUM OFFER HAD BEEN SECOND LOWEST.
2.
MCLEAN THANKED MR ZHANG FOR HIS COMPANY'S INTEREST, BUT CLAIMED THAT HE HAD NO AWARENESS OF COMMERCIAL MATTERS. HE
PROMISED TO INFORM OUR COMMERCIAL SECTION OF ZHANG'S CALL. ZHANG
SAID HE WAS CONTENT TO LEAVE THE MATTER IN OUR HANDS.
COMMERCIAL SECTION HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DELEGATION REFERRED TO
BY ZHANG.
COMMENT
3.
ZHANG'S APPROACH IS DIFFICULT TO READ. IT SUGGESTS THAT THE
CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION ARE BECOMING WORRIED THAT HYUNDAI'S CHANCES ARE DECLINING QUICKLY. IT ALSO RAISES THE
POSSIBILITY OF A POLITICAL APPROACH BY THE CHINESE TO MUTE THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE AWARD OF A CONTRACT TO A ANGLO-JAPANESE
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