DIL
[CATADC]
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
RESTRICTED
J C Priston Esq
Director
Invest in Britain Bureau
Department of Trade & Industry
Bridge Place
88-89 Eccleston Square
London
SW1V 1PT
HKK 090/1
7 July 1986
Der Priter
HONG KONG: IRELAND
1.
INDUSTRIAL
INVESTMENT BOARD FOR NORTHERN
I am writing about the telegram to you (No Indus 54 of 24 June) sent by the British Trade Commission in Hong Kong. BTC's telegram was also copied to us: so far as I know,
no
reply
has
yet
been
sent.
2. In view of previous correspondence on the difficult question of UK inward investment promotion activities in Hong Kong, you will not be surprised to learn that we are concerned about the IDB activities described in the BTC telegram.
3.
Richard Hoare of this department wrote to Howard Johnson of IBB on 10 January 1985 concerning such activities. He stated: "We feel that, at this stage, we should continue to tread very carefully. Although the agreement on the future of Hong Kong has now been signed we are most
most anxious
anxious not to be thought to be trying to benefit from any continuing uncertainty about the territory's future in the period up to 1997. A certain level of activity by regional agencies would probably be regarded in Hong Kong as a normal and acceptable way to attract investment capital, but such activity should not be unduly aggressive, explicitly aimed at those seeking a haven for their capital or too closely identified with Certainly we do not believe the time is opportune government-inspired increase in investment
HMG.
for any activity".
HRK 090/1
RECEIVED IN ALESTRY
INDEX
10 JUL 1986
PA
Y
ake!
AB 10/1
RESTRICTED
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