TNAG-2978-FCO40-1470-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1982 — Page 118

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Itu Sextur

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HOFO Ø19/18

PP E C G D

GPS 170

UNCLASSIFIED

EOMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE

FM B T C HONG KONG 100845Z FEB 82

TO PRIORITY ECGD

Kidq NO DISTRIBUTION

TELEGRAM NUMBER EXCE D10 OF 18 FEBRUARY

FOR CRANE, COUNTRY POLICY DIVISION

FROM MARCH SENIOR TRADE COMMISSIONER.

THIS TELEOKAM

WAS NOT

ADVANCED

(ERAD (TH)

HUGD

TLED (1-2

CITYWALL ENGINEERING, 1712 HANG LUNG CENTRE, HONG KONG HAVE RECEIVED A TELEX FROM NEI COCHRAN LTD INDICATING THAT ECGD REFUSE TO COVER AN ORDER OBTAINED VIA CITYWALL BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD TO PAY QUOTE ONE BAD DEBT INCURRED BY CITYWALL UNQUOTE, NEITHER NEI COCHRAN NOR CITYWALL CAN IDENTIFY ANY SUCH BAD DEBT.

2. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CITYWALL IS JOHN WEEDON, A PERSONAL FRIEND AND FOR 11 YEARS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GEC HK LTD. HE IS MOST WORRIED BY ECGD'S REPORTED STANCE WHICH COULD OF COURSE SERIOUSLY AFFECT HIS EFFORTS TO BUILD UP THE CITYWALL COMPANY.

3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET ME HAVE FULL DETAILS OF THE STUMBLING BLOCK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I RECOGNISE THAT ECGD DO NOT NORMALLY WISH THEIR ATTITUDE TO BE REFERRED TO CLIENTS BUT WEEDON HAS CONSIDERARLE INFLUENCE IN THE HONG KONG BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND I MUST BE ABLE TO REASSURE HIM EITHER THAT THERE HAS BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING OR GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT SOME PAST ERROR OF WHICH HE IS UNAWARE.

MARCH

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