TNAG-2679-FCO40-3876-British-Trade-Commission--Hong-Kong--and-China-Trade-Unit-re-1993 — Page 33

BTC HÙNG KONG

THU 23 SEP 93 11:48

From R.F. Cornish LVO British Senior Trade Commissioner

Martyn Baker Esq

OT2 DTI

CONFIDENTIAL

1

PG.01

39

HKA 120/1

L6 OCT 1993

Mundy

Copy Mr Wurm,

Ang

British Trade Commission Hong Kong

9th Floor

Bank of Americu Tower 18 Harcourt Road Central

Hong Kong

Tel No: 523 0176

Fax No: 845 2870

Mr Fry, RED 23/9 23 September 1993

My Man's

2719

Mr Whitney

Ms

Barel

Pre check Hal DTI are

putting together a helpful reply

2

Dear Martyn,

LI KA SHING

Some

1. I had a long introductory talk today with Li ka-shing, the wealthiest businessman in Hong Kong, probably Hong Kong's biggest investor in UK and one of the biggest in China. of the points he raised are way outside your Division' s responsibilities. But I hope you will forgive me asking you to

act as conduit to the relevant divisions.

He had a high regard 2. His basic pitch was very positive. for a number of British enterprises, particularly GEC, and he intended to use them. In power generation in China, he was in contact with GEC over the existing contract for 2 x 660 MW capacity at Zhuhai where the eventual capacity was likely to be 6 x 660 MW. He had little doubt that GEC would get this business. In Hong Kong he was in touch with GEC over rolling stock for the Ma On Shan to Cheung Sha Wan railway project

He was covered in the overall railway feasibility study. uncertain how far the Hong Kong Government had got in approving the project but he hoped it would go ahead, and he made clear that if it did, GEC were well placed.

3. He is the main operator of Hong Kong's existing container terminal capacity, the most important man behind CT9, has a joint-venture with the Chinese authorities for 50% of the existing Shanghai port and is in advanced discussions over the

He would be delighted to see a new port development at Pudong.

great deal of British equipment in the new developments (and he has recent bad experience of Italian container terminal equipment).

4. All this is fine as far as it goes but it will need a lot of aggressive follow-up, not least because Li and George Magnus (Deputy Chairman of the holding company and now Chairman of Hong Kong Electric) have in the past been distinctly sceptical about the drive and determination of UK industry in general and certainly have a poor view of NEI, who won Hong Kong Electric's contract for Lama Six and messed it up.

CONFIDENTIAL

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15.

But