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David Evans

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but not for the cigar-chomping club investor David Tang Wing-cheung.

Mr Tang is the very public face of the prestigious China Club based in the old Bank of China building. International sources have revealed Mr Tang is upset with an apparent double that has sprung up in Germany.

China Club Berlin is the brainchild of private developer Jagdfeld and is said to be modelled on Mr Tang's creation.

In fact, Mr Tang is so annoyed that he has asked his lawyers to fire off a letter.

Ariane Spiss, who is involved with the Berlin project, confirmed a letter was on its way.

'I have been told that there should be a letter arriving,' she said.

Mr Tang's Hong Kong office did not respond to questions.

Despite its location (Germany), members of China Club Berlin are expected to get a feel for the Orient for considerably less than the members in Hong Kong.

At yesterday's HK dollar-euro rate of HK$7.31, a corporate membership in Berlin is HK$109,650 while an individual membership is HK$73,100. There will be an annual fee of HK$10,965.

Hong Kong members pay HK$150,000 for a transferable membership and HK$120,000 for a non-transferable membership. There is a monthly fee of HK$1,020.

A Lufthansa flight to Berlin leaves at lunchtime today.

Softly does it: The secret to tycoon longevity was unveiled at Wednesday evening's Golden Jubilee celebration for Queen Elizabeth thrown by the British Consul-General Sir James Hodge.

The Conrad Hotel's Grand Ballroom guest list read like a Who's Who of Hong Kong's political and business elite.

A smartly turned out Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen chatted with a dishevelled looking David Tang as tycoons big and small networked the room and quaffed wine.

Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels chairman Michael Kadoorie introduced his mother, Lady Kadoorie, to property magnate Li Ka-shing.

Between them they clock up about 212 years of age.

Lai See  believes Mr Kadoorie may have revealed the secret to a long life when we overheard him point out to Mr Li: 'We are both drinking soft drinks.'

Both sides toasted: The protocol was impeccable at the Conrad Hotel as Sir James proposed a toast to the people of the SAR and PRC.

Commented a bystander: 'Two countries, one toast.'

Cultural sensitivity: The hostile takeover of First Pacific's Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) by the family of John Gokongwei has left some of the Hong Kong-listed conglomerate's executives considering their uncertain future.

First Pacific executive chairman Manuel Pangilinan, who is also PLDT's chief executive, is known to be against the US$925 million deal.

A PLDT executive said to be very close to Mr Pangilinan summed up the mood to a Business Post reporter.

'Of course there's a bit of uncertainty. Would you feel happy in this situation? This is a spectator sport for us. But it raises the question about the long-term direction of the company. People joined this company because they were attracted to a certain kind of culture.

'A very professionally run culture and I frankly don't know whether that would be retained under a new shareholder. We're not a family organisation. Certainly it will be a change in culture.'

Cup withheld: The glum faces of staff at HSBC headquarters belie the fact that productivity at the bank hasn't been affected by the World Cup.

Bank sources confirm that the Central office is bristling with TV sets and large screens.

Unfortunately, and unlike many other banks around town, HSBC sets are tuned to CNN.

'Executives think [watching the World Cup] would affect productivity,' said a disgruntled football fan.

Whereas watching CNN all day . . . ?

Graphic: whee07gbz



Berlin nightlife copycat draws fire from Tang