Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
Fite
Telephone 01-
T W Aston Esq CMG
Senior British Trade Commissioner Hong Kong
Your reference
Our reference
Date
13 February 1974
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY
MISSION
1. At the request of the London Chamber of Commerce I attended a briefing meeting for this Mission chaired by Michael Herries on 12 January.
Cherry Welch and Ted Bush (Hong Kong Association) were also present and the three of us spoke to the members on different aspects of the Hong Kong economical, and in my case, political scene.
2. The news of Cubitts withdrawal and your views on it had reached us but were not discussed in depth. The organisers clearly felt that at this stage there is no alternative but to send a mission
now.
3. For my part I stressed the importance for the Mission's success
their of the being "Ambassadors for Britain in crisis" if they had any hope of achieving business. Mr Herries Chairman, strongly supported this and from his own experience said that the view from Hong Kong of Britain at the moment, was very much blacker than is actually the case.
4. All good luck for the Mission and for your efforts.
Cc:
Mr Gray (TRED
M A Goodfellow
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
LAST....ENTRY.
دی