CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Samuel, FED (paras 2 & 3)
Mr Simons, SEAD (para 5)
Mr Stewart, HKD (
4) has seen.
cc Mr Cortazzi
PA.
att 1.3.77
22
UK/ASIA TRADE RELATIONS
Mr Cortazzi's minute of 9 December recording his conversation with Christopher Roberts over lunch.
1.
JAPAN
2. I take it that Mr Samuel can identify and put up the DOT paper. I assume this is not connected with the current investigation into Japanese car imports.
CHINA
3.
Mr Royce has written to me and others in Whitehall on the problem of giving assurances to the Chinese, valid for the period of contracts, which will satisfy the Chinese that there will be no governmental impediment to the fulfilment of these contracts. ATC equipment is one of the contracts involved. We need to clear our minds and answer on this soon. Personally I should like to proceed from the principle that the customer is always right, and that if our object is to sell to the Chinese we must swallow the bureaucratic objections which appear to have been erected in Whitehall to the giving of such assurances.
HONG KONG
4. I recall having minuted to POD, probably last year, on the need for regular visits to this country by Mr Kinnear. I did this at that time also at Mr Roberts' urging.
VIETNAM
CAPITAL AID
5. I am sure there are more snags to this proposition than the finding of ODM funds. There should be plenty of these about. A major issue here is surely the principle of giving aid other than humanitarian aid to Communist countries. We give no such development aid to any Communist country save Yugoslavia. There is also the factor that ODM, so far as I know, adamantly refuse to provide aid funds for purely export promotion reasons.
PM.
P JE Male
10 December 1976
CONFIDENTIAL