CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2491
OF 25103OZ JULY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
нко 091/1
5
156556
MDLIAN 9085
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA,
INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, UKREP BRUSSELS
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR
CONFIDENCE BOOSTING MEASURES: INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS
FOLLOWING ON FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT YOU WILL HAVE
BEEN CONSIDERING IDEAS ON HOW TO USE THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA TO
REPAIR SOME OF THE DAMAGE DONE TO HONG KONG BY EVENTS IN CHINA. THE SUMMIT STATEMENT WAS ONE SUCH. THIS TELEGRAM PUTS FORWARD
A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC IDEAS IN THIS CONTEXT WHERE YOU MIGHT
BE ABLE TO HELP WITH REBUILDING CONFIDENCE.
HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE
2. HONG KONG IS ALREADY AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS. WITH THE NEW CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE WE WILL
SEE EVEN MORE LARGESCALE MULTI -NATIONAL GATHERINGS HERE. WE SEE
ADVANTAGE IN COMPLETING THIS PICTURE BY PROMOTING OURSELVES NOT
ONLY AS A BUSINESS CENTRE BUT ALSO AS HOST TO INTERNATIONAL
ORGANISATIONS AND OFFICIAL CONFERENCES.
3. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS
FOR ACHIEVING THIS. CAN YOU IDENTIFY FOR US ANY INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS, PERHAPS NEWLY FORMED, WHOSE HEADQUARTERS WE MIGHT USEFULLY TRY TO ATTRACT HERE? ALTERNATIVELY ARE THERE ANY
ESTABLISHED ORGANISATIONS WHICH MIGHT BE STEERED TOWARDS PUTTING REGIONAL OFFICES HERE? UN-ASSOCIATED BODIES WOULD BE PARTICULARLY VALUABLE, AS WOULD THOSE WITH A LEGAL OR HUMAN RIGHTS FLAVOUR. ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE LATTER IS A TWO-EDGED SWORD: WHAT WE
NEED AT THIS STAGE IS AN IDEA OF WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, BEFORE WE DECIDE HOW FAR TO PURSUE THIS.
4. WE WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO SEE AN EC OFFICE OPEN HERE AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHERE DO THE COMMISSION'S DELIBERATIONS ON THIS STAND? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO
MOVE, SOON, IN OUR DIRECTION.
WE
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