97499 St.S.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
DRAFT
SAVINGRAM
Type 1 +
Top-Secret.
Confidential.
Bestricted == Unclassified.
To:-
GOVERNOR,
онд
Hong Kong.
9 13
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
sent
Copied to:-
Mr. Reed, F.E. Pac.Dept
Mr. Denson, F.0.
Mr. Hildyard, Economic Relations Dept. F.0
Mr. Vines, Personnel
Mr. Curson,
Dept.DSAO.
J.I.A.D.
(E46)
(E/2) Subject of O.K. Information services in Hong Kong
Mr-once
ANG
22.1-67
(9)
19
Hong Kong & West Indian 'C'
Future Role of British Trade Commission, Hong Kong.
Earlier this year approve al was flow Approval in principle was given in February last.
for the creation of an additional post of Commercial
Assistant (Information) in the British Trade Commissionvi
Office, Hong Kong. The intention is to fill the post
this may in fact, already have been done)
by local recruitment and the officer appointed will be
responsible, under direction of the Assistant Trade
Commissioner, for handling trade and publicity matters,
including the production of a trade promotion magazine
and liaison with the Chinese press and television
stations.
mad for
2. It is understood that the) iza
pointment of
this kind was mentioned to you personally by Mr. Robert
Maxwell, M.P. at the beginning of the year. The idea
has also been mooted of establishing a fully fledged Information
/section of the Trade Commission with a reading room,
reference library, film library etc., but there would
be obvious political dangers attached to such a course,
for example:-
(a) the Chinese Goverment might react unfavourably
to a vigorous campaign on their door-step to put
over Western democratic ideals;
(b) any systematic attempt in Hong Kong to put over
the U.K. viewpoint on an issue on which H.M.G.
and the Hong Kong Government might not see eye to
eye, would tend to belie the strict constitutio-
nal status of the territory and could lead to
other embarrassment.
In the first instance, therefore, the Trade Commission's
/extended