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them to contribute to the general perception of Britain in Hong Kong will no doubt occur from time to time. The Representative showed himself concerned to be of assistance where he could in this regard and there would obviously be merit if his links with the Senior Trade Commissioner could be increased.
PRESS RESEARCH UNIT
13. The Press Research Unit's work is highly regarded in Whitehall and by the Embassy in Peking; its product is circulated to a number of official recipients and it provides the basic material for OID's work on China. It is extremely cost-effective. (Mr. Ford showed a friendly interest in the Unit, which consists of only three people, and I feel sure that the Hong Kong Government would much regret any suggestion that its work should be discontinued.) It remains important to ensure that Mr. Yi is kept closely in touch with those concerned with the study of China and if possible the PRU should be co-located with any expanded China Trade Section (Annex E).
HONG KONG PREOCCUPATIONS
14. The Hong Kong authorities have an efficient information machine and a number of overseas outlets for their material. They will, however, look to the UK Government for assistance in projecting a number of their major preoccupations; and there will now be a continuing dialogue with the Secretary for Information. The inclusion in the programme for the Head of OID of visits to the facilities for Vietnamese refugees and the site of a new town underlined the preoccupation with the pressure on land and services. OID has sought to draw attention to Hong Kong's problems over the influx of Vietnamese and is at present commissioning a Background Brief on the consequences of population pressure on Hong Kong.
11 June 1979
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