PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
United Kingdom trade is directly involved, I am beginning seriously to wonder whether there is any point in having
If our anyone as senior as a Grade 4 officer here. activity is to be limited to the purely routine work of a Commercial Office, the post could be adequately and more cheaply filled by a junior officer with good commercial experience.
7. If the existence of a United Kingdom diplomatic officer, completely separate from the Hong Kong Government is felt to be a source of embarrassment to the latter, as a possible alternative line of communication with the United Kingdom
could not Government which I suspect is the local feeling this be avoided by considering this office as attached in some loose way to the Hong Kong Government but, of course, concerned only with United Kingdom exports to Hong Kong, as a sort of counterpart to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council which is only interested in Hong Kong exports. as the Political Adviser is seconded to the Hong Kong Government to form a link between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom Government on political questions so this office could perform a similar function in respect to United Kingdom trade with Hong Kong, thus avoiding any suspicion of rivalry.
Just
8,
• It seems rather absurd that as a British official in a British Colony I should be a member of the local Consular Corps with the result that as my predecessor expressed it this Commission is treated by the Hong Kong Government as on a par with the Panamanian Consulate.
9. I would, however, like to make it clear that on a personal basis the members of the Hong Kong Government could not be friendlier or more helpful. I have no complaints at all on this score. It is simply that the present ill-defined position of this Commission in the Hong Kong set-up is embarrassing to everyone concerned and is bound sooner or later to result in friction.
lo. I would like your help on another subject. Mr. Hattersley during his recent visit to Hong Kong (whom, of course, I did not meet) spoke of negotiations with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office later this year on the question of Hong Kong defence costs. I know from talking to General Sir Basil Eugster that this question is likely to arouse strong feelings in Hong Kong however unjustifiable this may be. I and my Information Officer would very much appreciate, therefore, if we could be kept fully briefed on H.M.G.'s attitude on this subject and of the
2.
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omis- sions in that information and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing of any firms, companies, or individuals mentioned.
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