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HKA.182/3
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!24
174216
MDHIAN 3423
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FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE INTRA
TELNO INTRA 124
OF 08083OZ MAY 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO PRIORITY SEOUL, TOKYO, PEKING
Q DIST?
Pa
11/5
FOR HALL, HEAD OF PEP
120
MY TELNO INTRA 123: HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT: MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT.
REACTIONS TO THE NEWS OF ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP'S SUCCESS HAVE MOSTLY BEEN FAVOURABLE.
1.
2.
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST TODAY, 8 MAY,DEVOTES ITS WHOLE LEADER COLUMN TO AN EDITORIAL HEADED 'NO APOLOGIES NEEDED FOR PICKING THE BEST' AND CONCLUDES THAT THE CHOICE OF THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP WAS THE BEST RESULT FOR HONG KONG. THE EDITORIAL CLOSELY REFLECTS MY CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH THE EDITOR (PARA 8 OF TUR) AND INDEED USES SOME OF MY WORDING.
3.
SIR GORDON MENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ANGLO-JAPANESE CONSORTIUM, GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE AFTERNOON OF 7 MAY, WHICH WENT WELL. HE FEATURES PROMINENTLY IN TODAYS PRESS. HE AND I WERE BOTH INTERVIEWED ON THE RTHK MORNING RADIO PROGRAMME, AND WERE BOTH CALLED UPON TO DENY THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY BIAS TOWARDS BRITISH COMPANIES.
4.
THERE IS ONE FLY IN THE OINTMENT. THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP'S LETTER TELLING THEM OF THE AWARD OF THE CONTRACT SAYS IT IS SUBJECT TO FURTHER FUNDING BEING GRANTED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF LEGCO. NO ONE SEEMS TO FORESEE ANY MAJOR DIFFICULTY OVER THIS BUT WE SHOULD NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. SOME MEMBERS OF LEGCO ARE SAYING THAT THEY WILL WANT TO CALL HYUNDAI REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO HEAR THEIR SIDE OF THE CASE. IF THEY DO THIS IT COULD PRESUMABLY LEAD TO DELAYS. NEVERTHELESS THE REACTIONS IN THE TWO SESSIONS OF LEGCO ON 7 MAY TO THE AWARD TO THE ANGLO-JAPANESE GROUP DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN UNDULY CRITICAL.
(COMMS. NOTE: THIS TELEGRAM RECEIVED HK COMCEN 111630 HONG KONG TIME
(11083OZ) DELAYED FROM 8 MAY DUE SEVERE WEATHER HONG KONG)
HEAP
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