Re Directorate

Jardine Matheson Hldgs Ld
8 December 2000


Lord Powell to Retire from the Board of Jardine Matheson

8th  December 2000 -- Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited  today
announced that Lord Powell has informed the Board that he will
be  standing down as a Director of the Company and of  various
other  Group  companies at the end of the year, a  few  months
ahead  of his planned retirement date.  This is to enable  him
to  pursue a wide range of other interests, including  further
international directorships.

Mr Henry Keswick, Chairman of Jardine Matheson Holdings, said,
'We are extremely grateful to Lord Powell for his contribution
to  Jardines.   We  are  particularly  pleased  that  he  will
continue  to  maintain  a connection with  the  Group  through
remaining on the boards of Matheson & Co Limited and  Mandarin
Oriental  International  Limited,  as  well  as  acting  as  a
consultant to Jardines on international affairs.'

Jardine  Matheson  is  a multinational  group  of  seven  core
businesses focused primarily on the Asia-Pacific region.   Its
operations  employ some 150,000 people and its activities  are
leaders  in  the  fields of supermarkets, consumer  marketing,
engineering   and  construction,  insurance   broking,   motor
trading, property and hotels.  The Group is building its  core
businesses largely in Asia Pacific with the goal of  enhancing
shareholder value for the long term.


For further information, please contact:

Jardine Matheson Limited
Neil M McNamara                               (852) 2843 8227

Matheson & Co. Limited
Martin Henderson                            (44) 207 816 8135

Golin/Harris Forrest
David Dodwell                                 (852) 2501 7902

Golin/Harris Ludgate
Richard Hews                                 (44) 207 253 225