DE 18-77
的
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Referenced KD 31.13 (16)
RE
2 JUL 1988
IND
T
TO:
Mr Thompson O/R
FROM:
W J HALL
VS/347
215 5374
22 JULY 1988
CHINA: MR MICHAEL GORMAN
1.
cc Mr Moorey INF
Mr Cooper FCO FED
Mr Hum FCO HKD
Mr Chapman BE Beijing. Mr Holloway SBTC HK
N2917
Mr Footman
Mr Wool+
W
/28/1
I had lunch this week with Mr Gorman, whom I had met socially, particularly to talk about China. He had spent some years in Bangkok and now owns the "Bangkok Post", but is now much more concerned with China and also has a consultancy organisation, the Anglo Chinese Development Corporation Limited. He also owns what he called the "Thompson Group" of papers in Hong Kong, which he apparently bought out from Thompson, and remains deputy Chairman of the Thompson Foundation.
2.
In the latter capacity he is much involved with training in journalism given to quite a large number of Chinese, and they have now been invited also to advise on the development of Chinese radio and (I think) television.
3.
In the UK and Europe the group publishes the China Economic Weekly (may I see a copy please) as a joint venture with Chinese interests but with a UK majority. It also has a limited circulation in the PRC, where the representatives of the Chinese Economic Daily in every province also look after its interests.
4.
Mr Gorman`s consultancy group are apparently European agents for the CCPIT. They also have a 10% stake in the proposed China centre to be set up in the London Docklands area. Among current commercial developments they have introduced Rowntree Cadbury to the Chinese market, and expect the latter in the autumn to sign an agreement to grow cocoa in a large plantation in Hainan. The idea is apparently then to move in six to seven years`time from simply cocoa production to the manufacture of chocolate confectionery in a 60/40 venture.
W J HALL pT2/2