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EARLY TO MAKE PREDICTIONS ON THE BASIS OF ONE RESULT, THE DEMOCRATS HAD CERTAINLY SHRUGGED IT OFF AS A BY-ELECTION ANOMALY, BUT IT WAS AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT AND I WOULD LET HIM KNOW IF
AND WHEN I RECEIVED ANY COMMENTARY. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF THERE IS
ANYTHING I COULD USEFULLY GIVE THE QUAI.
BIANCO'S VISIT TO HONG KONG
5. JEAN-LOUIS BIANCO, MINISTRE DE L'EQUIPMENT, DU TRANSPORT ET DU LOGEMENT, VISITED HONG KONG ON HIS WAY BACK FROM VIETNAM TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. I ASKED LE CORRE ABOUT THE VISIT TO HONG KONG AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FRENCH FINANCIAL DAILY LA TRIBUNE DE L'EXPANSION (TO YOU BY FAX) IN WHICH BIANCO HAD BEEN CRITICAL OF TENDER PROCEDURES FOR THE AIRPORT CONTRACTS. BIANCO
SAID THAT HE HAD COMPLAINED TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT THE GOAL POSTS HAD BEEN MOVED ON A CONTRACT TENDER CAUSING A FRENCH CONSORTIUM TO LOSE THE CONTACT TO THE ANGLO/JAPANESE CONSORTIUM. LE CORRE PLAYED DOWN BIANCO'S COMMENTS, SAYING THAT BIANCO HAD NOT REALLY BEEN AS CRITICAL AS IT SOUNDED (NOT PARTICULARLY CONVINCING AS THE INTERVIEW IS PRETTY UNEQUIVOCAL). HE SAID THAT BIANCO'S
VISIT HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO UNDERLINE FRANCE'S INTEREST IN HONG KONG
AND TO EMPHASISE THAT SHE WANTED TO INCREASE HER PRESENCE THERE:
BIANCO'S COMMENTS SHOULD BE READ IN THAT CONTEXT.
6. HKD PLEASE COPY TO WED.
SIGNED JENNIFER TOWNSON
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