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UK | HIK TRADE
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21
UK/ASIA TRADE RELATIONS
1. I had lunch today with Mr Roberts, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Trade responsible for Asia. We covered a wide range of topics.
(a) Japan
He
Mr Roberts agreed that it would be useful if I would see the Japanese Ambassador and stress to him the importance of early progress on improving the European Japanese trade balance. mentioned a paper which the Department of Trade have prepared for an official committee on the next steps. I should like to see this. I mentioned that I would be going to Bonn at the end of next week and asked him whether there were any particular points he wanted me to raise with the Germans. He referred to the meeting that Sir Peter Thornton had with his German opposite number and said that generally speaking we and the Germans seemed to be on net on Japan although the Germans are putting what he thinks is unrealistic emphasis on alleged Japanese dumping.
(b) Korea
He
Mr Roberts was concerned about the Grade 6 post in Seoul. said that the Department of Trade had had to turn down two FCO candidates. The people nominated by the FCO had not got the sort of public relations approach needed to push British exports to Korea. I should be grateful if FED would discuss this with POD and let me know the position. Mr Roberts added that Mr Geoffrey Nichols, the Chairman of the Korea Trade Advisory Group, now has a higher opinion of Mr Bates than he had previously. It seems that Mr Bates and Mr Tallboys find it much easier to get on than was the case between Mr Bates and Mr Sturdy. We agreed however that ideally speaking the Ambassador in Seoul should be a man with a commercial background and with an enthusiasm for trade promotion.
(c) China
Mr Roberts' main concern at the moment in relation to China is to get some progress on air traffic control equipment.
He fears, however, that the line which the Department of Trade have had to
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