BEEAHR
HUD 334/1 ниб
Private Secretary
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Secretas State
01 J1988
Lilio
From: CO Hum
12 }
2
Hong Kong Department
Date: 10 June 1988
CC:
Mr McLaren
LRD, CRD
HONG KONG ARCHIVE PROJECT: OXFORD UNIVERSITY
Problem
A
1. The Vice Chancellor of Oxford University, Sir Patrick Neill,
wrote to the Secretary of State on 25 May asking him to raise with
Dr Stanley Ho while in Hong Kong the question of funding for the
Hong Kong Archive Project.
Recommendation
2.
The Secretary of State considered that it was neither
practicable nor appropriate for him to raise the matter with Dr Ho
during his recent visit to Hong Kong. I recommend that the
Secretary of State write to Sir P Neill along the lines of the
attached draft. LRD have been consulted and are content.
Background
The Hong Kong
3. Sir P Neill's letter is self explanatory.
Archives Project is a worthwhile one which we would like to see
become financially viable. But it must be for Dr Ho himself to
decide whether or not to make a donation. There are no plans for HMG to provide financial support.
4. When the Secretary of State discussed Sir P Neill's letter with
the Governor in Hong Kong, the Governor commented that if Dr Ho
preferred to fund projects in Hong Kong rather than the archive
project, he would not wish to try to persuade him to do otherwise.
We would not dissent from this new. The attached draft takes care
not to commit either the Secretary of State or the Governor to any action with Dr Ho.
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