RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE DTI
TELNO OTTER 29
OF 080915Z FEBRUARY 88
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
RESTRICTED
Mr Momoj 192 тра
W/19/2
川
A Est Nile
сас
HURB 0101
* FEB 1988
L
047204
MDLIAN 8292
MY OTTER 21: LIBRARY AT NINGBO
•
:
I HAVE NOW DISCUSSED THIS WITH SIR Y K PAO HE SAID THAT ORIGINALLY HE THOUGHT BRITISH FIRMS MIGHT WISH TO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS
TOWARD THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIS PROPOSED MARGARET THATCHER LIBRARY AT NINGB 0. HOWEVER HE WOULD BE JUST AS HAPPY IF THEY DONATED BOOKS. HE BELIEVED THE BUILDING WOULD BE FINISHED AND READY TO RECEIVE BOOKS BY 1990.
2.
THE UNIVERSITY HAS OF COURSE BEEN FINANCED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY SIR Y K. ACCORDING TO SOME NOTES HE GAVE ME THERE ARE TWO THOUSAND STUDENTS ALREADY AND BY THE YEAR 2000 THERE SHOULD BE FIVE THOUSAND STUDENTS. THERE ARE 8 DEPARTMENTS: FOREIGN LANGUAGES, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS, CIVIL ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE, BUSINESS ECONOMICS AND LAW. THERE IS ALSO A CHINESE CULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE, A MATERIALS SCIENCE AND MECHANICS RESEARCH CENTRE AND AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN INSTITUTE. I AM FAXING THE DETAILS (AND BY BAG TO PEKING).
3.
I TOLD SIR Y K IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO CONSULT COMPANIES ABOUT
HIS SUGGESTION THAT IN THE INTERESTS OF FOSTERING GOOD COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH CHINA THEY MIGHT CARE TO JOIN WITH HIM IN SPONSORING THE LIBRARY. I MADE THE POINT THAT AS BUSINES PEOPLE (LIKE HIM)
THEY WOULD NEED TO MAKE A COMMERCIAL JUDGEMENT ON THE POTENTIAL
VALUE OF SUCH A GESTURE. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THIS AND HE ALSO
ACCEPTED THAT DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA WAS DIFFICULT AND NOT ALWAYS PROFITABLE. NEVERTHELESS HE THOUGHT A LIBRARY BEARING THE NAME OF THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WOULD CONTRIBUTE GENERALLY TO THE BRITISH
PROFILE IN CHINA. SIMILARLY HE HOPED HIS PROPOSED DENG XIAOPING LIBRARY IN LEEDS OR MANCHESTER WOULD HELP CHINA'S IMAGE IN BRITAIN.
4. I HOPE THIS IS USEFUL. I DID NOT MENTION THAT PEKING ARE PRESENTING POUNDS 2,500 WORTH OF BOOKS TO NINGBO. I HELD THIS BACK IN CASE THE EMBASSY WISH TO CONSIDER DELAYING THE GIFT AND LINKING IT IN SOME WAY TO SIR Y K'S PRESENT PROPOSAL.
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED