CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2
OF 020926Z JANUARY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
146467
MDHIAN 7797
нко 40611
TOP COPY Q DIST?
Julz
2
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HEAD OF HKD, AND FOR BERTRAM, HEAD OF OED
YRTELNO 220 TO HONG KONG: FUTURE BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL:
PROPOSED PRIVATE TREATY GRANT
1. IT MAY BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO KNOW, SINCE IS STRENGTHENS OUR CASE FOR SAYING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WERE NOT UNAWARE OF OUR CONCERNS, THAT WHEN I CALLED ON SIR DAVID FORD ON 19 DECEMBER ON OTHER MATTERS (MY TELNO 377) I SAID TO HIM THAT HE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE PROPOSED PRIVATE TREATY GRANT FOR THE CONSULATE GENERAL. I SAID THAT I HAD RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTIONS, AND WAS THEREFORE SPEAKING PERSONALLY, BUT THAT I HAD BEEN DISMAYED TO SEE THAT THE REVISED VERSION OF THE PTG WHICH WE HAD FORWARDED TO LONDON, TOOK NO ACCOUNT OF THE POINTS WHICH WE HAD RAISED IN PREVIOUS
DISCUSSIONS AND THAT I ANTICIPATED THE FCO BEING CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS. I REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION RETAINING A RIGHT OF ACCESS, AND RELATED POINTS WHICH APPEARED NOT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE DIPLOMATIC NATURE OF THE PREMISES, AND ALSO TO THE SEEMING LIKELY REQUIREMENT THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TREES ON THE SITE WOULD HAVE TO BE PRESERVED, ADDING THAT I KNEW THAT THE PRESERVATION OF ONE TREE ON THE PACIFIC PLACE SITE HAD COST SWIRES HKD34 MILLION. I SUGGESTED THAT IF THESE POINTS WERE LOOKED AT URGENTLY NOW BEFORE POSITIONS BECAME ENTRENCHED IT
COULD AVOID DIFFICULTIES LATER. SIR D FORD APPEARED UNSIGHTED BUT THANKED ME FOR THE WARNING AND SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT.
HEAP
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