CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 119
OF 25083OZ MARCH 92
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 031 19
ст
Pa
se
1513
126
025762
MDLIAN 4447
INFO PRIORITY UKDEL IMF/IBRD WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING
22
23
25
OUR TELNO 115, YOUR TELNO 89 AND HONG KONG TELNO 865 : IMF/IBRD 1997 GENERAL MEETINGS.
SUMMARY
1. SINGAPORE UNLIKELY TO BID TO HOST 1997 MEETING.
DETAIL
2. MITCHELL, THIRD SECRETARY CHANCERY, CALLED ON WONG KWOK PUN, ACTING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS, MFA ON 25 MARCH. WONG BEGAN BY APOLOGISING FOR HAVING MISLED US. HIS DEPARTMENT HAD, HE SAID, GOT ITS INTERNAL LINES CROSSED AND, CONTRARY TO WHAT HIS DESK OFFICER HAD TOLD US LAST WEEK, SINGAPORE HAD NOT HEARD THAT HONG KONG WAS CONSIDERING WITHDRAWING ITS BID, NOR WAS SINGAPORE INTERESTED IN REACTIVATING ITS OWN BID. IT WOULD, HOWEVER, BE USEFUL IF WE COULD UPDATE HIM ON WHERE THINGS STOOD.
3.
MITCHELL TOOK HIM THROUGH THE POINTS IN PARA 1 OF YOUR TUR. AGREEING THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BOLSTER HONG KONG'S STANDING AS A FINANCIAL CENTRE POST-HANDOVER, WONG SAID THAT SIMILAR SENTIMENTS HAD BEEN EXPRESSED TO HIM BY THE CHINESE COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR, WHO, AGAIN AT WONG'S REQUEST, HAD CALLED ON HIM TO DISCUSS HONG KONG'S BID EARLIER THIS WEEK.
4.
ALTHOUGH IT HAD YET TO TAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO SUPPORT ANY FORMAL APPLICATION BY HONG KONG, WONG SAID THAT SINGAPORE HAD DECIDED UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES NOT TO PUT IN A BID OF ITS OWN.
COMMENT
5. THIS IS A CURIOUS EPISODE. IT COULD BE THAT THE SINGAPOREANS HAD RECEIVED MISINFORMATION ABOUT HONG KONG'S BID AND WERE THINKING OF GEARING THEMSELVES UP TO A BID. THE COMMENT FROM THE PRC DIPLOMAT IS OF INTEREST. SHOULD HONG KONG'S FORMAL APPLICATION TO THE IMF/IBRD GO THROUGH, IT LOOKS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT SINGAPORE WOULD SEEK TO COMPETE WITH A BID OF ITS OWN, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.
DUGGAN
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