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1974
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
12 JUN 1974
HKK 6/598/2
TO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS TELNO 532 OF 6 JUNE./AND TO BRUSSELS
(PERSONAL FOP AMBASSADOR),
PERSONAL FOR SIR, PALLISER.
HONG KONG REPRESENTATION IN THE EEC,
1. THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED UPGRADING THE LEVEL OF HONG KONG'S
REPRESENTATION IN BRUSSELS BY APPOINTING A FORMER HONG KONG
COLONIAL SECRETARY, MR BURGESS AS A GRADE 3. IT APPEARS THAT HE
WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH THE SAME RANGE OF SUBJECTS AS DODGE
BUT AT A HIGHER LEVEL. WE ARE NOT CERTAIN WHETHER THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT WOULD WISH DODGE TO REMAIN IN BRUSSELS AS WELL.
2. THE COVERNOR HAS SUGGESTED THAT, ON THE ANALOGY OF THE GATT DELEGATION, MR BURGESS MIGHT BE ATTACHED TO OUR PERMANENT PEPRESENT-
ATION RATHER THAN TO THE EMBASSY, SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS WE THINK
THIS A BAD IDEA, HONG KONG IS IN SOME RESPECTS IN AN ADVERSARY
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND IT COULD BE EMBARRASSING' TO HAVE THEM SITTING WITHIN THE REPRESENTATION AT TIMES WHEN THE
COMMUNITY'S NEGOTIATIONS WITH HONG KONG WERE BEING DISCUSSED,
3. WE WOULD SEE LESS OBJECTION TO MR BURGESS'S ATTACHMENT TO
EMBASSY AT GRADE 3. THE ONLY POSSIBLE PROBLEM IS THAT HE WOULD OUT
RANK THE CHARGE D'AFFAIRES WHEN THE AMBASSADOR WAS AWAY,
BUT THIS SHOULD CAUSE NO DIFFICULTY IF HE WAS SEPARATELY LISTED,
4. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EARLY COMMENTS WITH A VIEW TO A DECISION
DURING THE GOVERNOR'S TALKS IN LONDON FROM 17 20 JUNE,
5. DODGE DOES NOT KNOW OF THIS PROPOSAL AND IT SHOULD NOT BE
DISCUSSED WITH KIM,
CALLAGHAN
FILES:
READ HEIOD
HEAD EID
HEAD FOD
HEAD FPD
HEAD WED
SIR D. WATSON
IK, BUTZER
MR. MATE
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