TNAG-2464-FCO40-3588-UK-business-interests-in-Hong-Kong-Jardine-Matheson-Holdings-1992 — Page 76

Minute

TC

Mr Currie

Mr Chung

Reference

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JARDINES, SMITH BROS CAR WASH AND THE CANTON GOVERNMENT: AN UNLIKELY BRITISH EXPORT

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1. I called, with Michael Lo and Jeremy Brown of Jardines, on Mr Au of the Canton Municipal Government on 13 January.

2. Mr Au confirmed that his department were in charge of a car wash project and explained it. It is extraordinar- ily straightforward. The Municipal government will buy and install a foreign car wash system on the municipal border of Canton on the Canton-Shenzhen road. All government vehicles on the road will be obliged to be washed once a day (police vehicles will be washed free). Au estimates 10,000 vehicles a day will be washed, or 1,500 per hour. Later it is planned to install another system on the Meixian road with the same mandatory policy. Looking ahead, Au hopes the company from whom they buy would form a joint venture company for car wash system manufacture in Canton. There might be (mandatory) car washes throughout Guangdong Province, and exports of the system to other provinces.

3. Brown asked what other cities had experience of car wash systems. Au replied that Wuhan, Chengdu and Guilin had tried using an unsatisfactory local system. Canton would do better. And they had the money.

4. Lo confirmed that visa applications had been made for the municipal team's visit to Smith Bros. (Alcester, Warwickshire; close to my home). I was given the details and am chasing the visas. I will also write to Smith

Bros.

5.

I commented that 1,500 cars an hour would need many lines. Au nodded and thought about 20. I said that would still only give about 50 seconds per car wash; 4 minutes was the average (I thought). Au made note. He emphasised speed, reliability and price were the key requirements. promised to relay this.

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6.

Comment:

This is a nonsense

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but a probable export success. Canton does not need a mandatory car wash system from Britain. It will be a misuse of circa £1 million of forex

/initially ...

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