CONFIDENTIAL
5784
1
PROFILE PREVIOUSLY MAINTAINED BY THEIR PART-TIME OFFICE.
THEY WOULD RELY ON PERSONAL AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CONTACTS, AND LIMITED ADVERTISING MAINLY IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS (NEDC PRODUCED AN ADVERTISEMENT FROM SING TAO YAT PAO OF 20 MAY 1985 AS AN EXAMPLE).
DURING DISCUSSION WE EXPLAINED TO NEDC FULLY YOUR
CONCERNS AS SUMMARISED IN YOUR TUR.
3.
HAVING HEARD THE NEDC CASE AND CONSIDERED THE FURTHER ARGUMENTS SUMMARISED IN PARA 1, WE ARE INCLINED NOT TO OPPOSE THE NEDC PROPOSAL. NEDC, AND PARTICULARLY THEIR PROPOSED
REPRESENTATIVE MR CHRISTOPHER FRASER, SEEMED WELL-INFORMED OF HONG KONG'S SITUATION AND SENSITIVE TO YOUR AND OUR CONCERNS
ABOUT INWARD INVESTMENT PROMOTION. THEIR MAIN AIM SEEMS TO BE TO
USE HONG KONG'S GOOD LOCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES AS A BASE FOR REGIONAL ACTIVITIES, RATHER THAN TO FOCUS ON BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG.
4.
ON THIS BASIS, WE CONCLUDE THAT THE NEDC PROPOSAL IS
UNCONTROVERSIAL AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT STAND IN ITS WAY
SUBJECT TO ANY FURTHER VIEWS YOU MAY HAVE DESKRY
090900Z WE PROPOSE TO INFORM DTI (WHO WE UNDERSTAND WOULD NOT
FUND NEDC'S NEW OFFICE DIRECTLY BUT WOULD ALLOW PART OF ITS
EXISTING GRANT TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE) ACCORDINGLY.
HOWE
OCMIAN 5784
NNNN
YYYY
MAIN
MINIMAL
HKD
TRED
2
CONFIDENTIAL