DEPARTMENT OF TRADE
1 VICTORIA STREET LONDON SW1H OET
HKK026/4
NO. 21
Ma
CONFIDENTIAL
From the Secretary of State
The Rt Hon The Lord Carrington KCMG MC
Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Downing Street
London, SW1A 2AL
See (16/17
15
Telephone 01-215 7877
JED
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Should we comment?
P3
PS/LPO
B/Max Blake Ps/in Ridley PA/PUS
Sir & Maitlan Mr Cortazzi Lord Briges Mr Murray
10 February 1980 Mr Evans
нисто
TRED
Dear Peter
VISIT TO THE FAR EAST: 18-31 JANUARY 1980
FRO
ECD (E)
Rhy) 19/5
In January I made a two week visit to Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong three countries more associated in the public conception with import threat than with export potential. You might be interested in my impressions.
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I would like to start with Korea, for although it was not the first country on my route it was possibly the most useful of the three
visits. The Korean economy has been growing at about 10 per cent per annum compound for several years and no visit can fail to be impressed by its vigour. Since the Koreans are anxious to diversify away from their dependence on Japanese and United States imports I am sure that great opportunities exist in this market for British goods. We have a hard working Ambassador and Commercial Department in Seoul and they have achieved a great deal in the past few years. The main trouble is that we do not have enough businessmen going to Korea. Indeed Ministers may not have given the market the attention it deserves. For our exports generally to Korea the problem is of course to get their protectionist barriers down against our goods. We have had pretty good growth in exports to Korea of capital goods and won projects there against Japanese competition which in many other markets we would have found
CONFIDENTIAL
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