RESTRICTED
060770
MDHIAN 1700
RESTRICTED
FM CANBERRA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 59
OF 040005Z FEBRUARY 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE DTI
HKD 02613
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
DTI FOR HALL, HEAD OF PEP
11 FEB 192
FROM HEAP (VISITING FROM BTC HONG KONG).
UP COPY
Q DIST? : ZB.
MY BRIEFING TELEGRAM FOR LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT ON THE HONG KONG ECONOMY AND BRITISH BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
1. THE FOLLOWING FOOTNOTE TO THAT TELEGRAM IS RELEVANT. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I LEFT HONG KONG ON 31 JANUARY I HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR IN WHICH HE TOLD ME THAT FIRST REPORTS TO HIM INDICATED THAT THE KOREAN BID FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT WAS STRONG TECHNICALLY. THIS HE SAID HAD SURPRISED HIM. I REPLIED THAT THIS DID NOT SEEM TOO SURPRISING GIVEN THAT THEY HAD PREQUALIFIED WHICH HAD INVOLVED A RIGOROUS EXAMINATION OF THEIR TECHNICAL ABILITIES. I STRESSED HOWEVER THAT IT WOULD SURELY BE VERY RISKY TO GIVE THE CONTRACT TO A GROUP WITH SO LITTLE RELEVANT BRIDGE BUILDING EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER SOUND THEIR TECHNICAL PRESENTATION.
2. IF THE KOREANS HAD PUT TOGETHER A GOOD TECHNICAL BID, THEN DWELLING ON THEIR LACK OF EXPERIENCE MAY BE OUR BEST HOPE TO DISCREDIT THEIR BID (AND IT HAS TO BE DISCREDITED IF THE BRITISH GROUP IS TO WIN).
BARDER
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
22
LIMITED
HKD
FED
DISTRIBUTION
23
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
PAGE
1
ADDITIONAL
1
RESTRICTED
PEP,
DTI
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