GRS 900
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 21120OZ FCO
TELNO 1563
CONFIDENTIAL
HKH 29111
RECEIVER IN REGISTRY
17 JUN 1986
OF 211037Z MAY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
DESC OFFICER
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
TOP COPY
YOUR TELNO 931: POSSIBLE HONG KONG/JAPAN CULTURAL AGREEMENT
1. THE JAPANESE CONSUL-GENERAL TELEPHONED THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 13 MAY TO SAY THAT HIS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT INITIALLED WITH THE DUTCH (OUR TELNO 1463) REFLECTED JAPANESE INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO SIGN AGREEMENTS GENERALLY UNDER SPECIFIC AUTHORISATION FROM HMG. MATSUURA EXPLAINED THAT THE JAPANESE WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG BEYOND MERELY ECONOMIC SUBJECTS. HE HAD HIMSELF BEEN ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THIS CONCEPT AND SAID THAT THE OBJECTIVES WOULD BE MENTIONED BY THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER WHEN THE GOVERNOR VISITS TOKYO.
2. AT PRESENT, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND THE POLYTECHNIC EACH RECEIVE SOME MONEY FROM JAPAN THROUGH THE (GOVERNMENT-FUNDED) JAPAN FOUNDATION. MAATSURA SAID THAT FUNDS BY THIS ROUTE WERE LIMITED AND WOULD REMAIN SO. THE JAPANESE COULD NOT ENLARGE THEIR EXISTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITHOUT A FORMAL AGREEMENT. SUCH AGREEMENTS EXISTED CURRENTLY WITH A NUMBER OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, NOTABLY ASEAN (THERE IS ALSO A COMPARABLE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA).
3. REVERTING TO THE SUBJECT ON 15 MAY, MATSUURA EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS TALKING NOT OF AN ON-GOING (E.G. 5-10 YEAR) AGREEMENT BUT A SERIES OF SPECIFIC AGREEMENTS WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COVERING A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR SET OF PROJECTS FALLING WITHIN A GIVEN YEAR (THIS LOOKS ATTRACTIVE AS FAR AS THE CHINESE REACTION IS CONCERNED). HE PRODUCED AN EXAMPLE, A RECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA COVERING THE PROVISION OF LANGUAGE
LABORATORY AND AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT TO THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY IN
THE FORM OF A LETTER FROM THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE PNG
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
(COPY SENT TO HUM HKD BY HAND BY MRS. MP.)
4. THE PROJECT MATSUURA HAS IN MIND FOR 1986/87 IN HONG KONG
S ENHANCED SUPPORT FOR THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMME AT HONG
KONG UNIVERSITY. IF THE PRINCIPLE WERE AGREEABLE TO US AND F
THE PROGRAMME GAVE SATISFACTION IN PRACTICE, HE WOULD (WITHOUT
COMMITMENT) HOPE TO REPEAT THIS FOR THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY IN
1987/88. THE MONEY FOR HONG KONG UNIVERSITY WAS EXPECTED TO COME
VERY NEAR THE PERMITTED JAPANESE CEILING OF 50M. YEN. THIS
WOULD, MATSUURA THOUGHT, REPRESENT MORE THAN A 10-FOLD INCREASE IN THE MONEY THAT CAN CURRENTLY BE SUPPLIED FROM THE JAPAN FOUNDATION,
WITH ITS HEAVY OVERHEADS AND MANY CLAIMS ON ITS BUDGET.
CONFIDENTIAL
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