HICK 020/2
RECEIVED AGISTRÝ
- 3 AUG 1984
LESK
INDE
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7
Mr Elliott, FED
CONFIDENTIAL
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4
FROM: DATE:
HB Warren-Gash
31 July 1984
cc:
PS/PUS
Sir W Harding
Mr Mound, HKD
THIS COPY FOR
Curkum
73mm(7
Miss Neville-Jon Planning Staff Mr Wye, Research Dept
TAIWAN
1. Mr Luce read with interest your note of 19 July on this subject, together with subsequent minutes by Mr Wye and Sir W Harding. He very much agrees that our wider interests in the area, including Hong Kong, rule out a substantive political relationship of any sort with the Taiwanese authorities, and that this is likely to continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. This ought not, however, to prevent us maintaining a good trading relationship with Taiwan, nor from doing what we can to even out the balance of trade through encouraging more active interest in Taiwan by British firms.
2.
In the light of the above, and of the persistent criticism that we have received about the activity (or otherwise) of the Anglo-Taiwan Trade Committee, Mr Luce believes that we ought at least to explore with the DTI whether there is anything we can do to give more substance to our trading links. Mr Luce believes that the best way to do this might be through a letter at Ministerial level to the DTI. He would accordingly be grateful for a first draft of a letter that he might send to Mr Channon.
Wawer.Gil,
H B Warren-Gash PS/Mr Luce
CONFIDENTIAL