()
Reference..
НКК 6/13
со
Mr. Britten,
Trade Policy Department
The Political Adviser in Hong Kong (Mr. Maddocks)
has asked our agreement to his sending a letter to
selected posts requesting them to let him have 'copies of some of your reports on political and economic developments" in the countries concerned. He has enclosed a draft of the letter he proposes to
send.
2.
The object is to provide up-to-date information
on the political and economic factors which the Colony's Commerce & Industry Department should take
into account in furthering and protecting its wide- spread trading interests. The problems for Hong Kong on this front are increasing year by year. Because of the size, pattern and growing complexity of Hong Kong's trade, it has been accepted as a matter of
practical convenience that the initial formulation of policy in, and management of, certain areas of the
Colony's commercial relations should be conducted by the Hong Kong Government, subject of course to the
U.K's ultimate control in exercise of her overall
As a
responsibility for the Colony's affairs. The Hong
Kong Government must rely on us to provide the information they need for this purpose. dependent territory Hong Kong has no formal represen- tation in other countries (although where its
commercial relations are both important and considerable, i.e. in Washington, Brussels and
U.K. Mission, Geneva it pays for Counsellors at
these posts who are engaged solely in looking after the Colony's commercial affairs in direct contact with the Hong Kong Government).
3.
Hong Kong lives by trade; it has no natural resources, It is our responsibility and in our interest to foster and safeguard Hong Kong's trade; if Hong Kong's trade and prosperity withered, it could become a major liability (political and financial) to HMG at present it costs us nothing (apart from defence expenditure) to maintain our position there.
4. The request in its present form is different in a
number of material respects from one which was pursued in 1966/67 on behalf of Hong Kong's statutory Export
/Credit
...