G. F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL #
11
with French journalists had Government wished to pursue an active information policy in France. Similarly, the H.K.T.A. are planning to travel around Germany and other European countries with a travel promotion "Hard Sell Hong Kong" directed at the travel trade. This promotion will arouse interest in Hong Kong in provincial cities and this interest could be further exploited if a government information officer was available on the spot at the time to make personal contact with television and media representatives. Similarly, on such occasions,
a suitable government documentary film could be shown with good effect and if a policy of participation by Government in T.D.C. or H.K.T.A. promotions is accepted a new film for this purpose might be justified.
37. One of the things which particularly impressed me about the T.D.C. operation was the energy and good sense of their representatives in the field. They have made sensible and valuable contacts; their relationships with the British Consulates are good (indeed, most Commercial Secretaries are delighted to be able to pass trade enquiries to them). They are good, all-round, Hong Kong representatives and are generally looked upon as such. They know it is not their job to get involved in trade policy matters but I think sometimes they are too divorced from this aspect and it would be helpful if a confidential background guidance service could be started to keep them up to date with the latest policy trends both in trade and gencral matters.
38. It should be remembered that in their prime task of promoting investment in Hong Kong their representatives hold many meetings with leading bankers and manufacturers and one of the first questions they are inevitably asked in conversation is the political question 'Will Hong Kong survive?' Proper background guidance on this and related subjects would be of great help.
The countries visited-specific problems
Britain
39. As stated earlier in this report I visited London primarily to assess the extent to which our work in Britain affects our public relations and information effort within the Economic Community and to discuss with the Hong Kong Commissioner and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the objects of my survey. I was grateful for the personal attention the Commissioner gave to my visit and par- ticularly appreciative of the fact he was able to accompany me to most of the meetings at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. These included discussions with the European Integration Department and the Guidance and Information Policy Department. I also had a useful meeting with Mr. E. Youde, the Assistant Under Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs whose appointment as H.M. Ambassador in Peking was recently amounced. The possibility of Hong Kong strengthening its commercial information effort in the E.E.C. was generally welcomed and reasonable help from the Embassies could be counted upon. seemed that we would be able to work more effectively from our own
It
CONFIDENTIAL # &
機密