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ITALY. WOULD YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, EXPECT CALL ON THE ITALIAN FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER IN OCTOBER TO BE ARRANGED BY THE HKETO IN BRUSSELS QUERY SHOULD THE AMBASSADOR (OR SOMEONE FROM THE EMBASSY) ACCOMPANY YOU ON THIS CALL QUERY CALLS ON
THE MFA, ON THE OTHER HAND, WOULD PRESUMABLY REQUIRE EMBASSY INVOLVEMENT SINCE THEY WOULD COVER FOREIGN POLICY SUBJECTS WITHIN THE COMPETENCE OF HMG.
(B) ROLE OF THE HKETOS
4. AS FAR AS THE ROLE OF HKETOS IS CONCERNED AND VISITS BY HKETO STAFF, ROME HAVE SUGGESTED, FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS WITH WEBB JOHNSON, THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO MAINTAIN A DISTINCTION BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CALLS. ROME HAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT IN ORDER TO EMPHASISE HONG KONG'S DISTINCT IDENTITY, IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO RELY ON THEIR OWN RESOURCES AND TO REIMBURSE EMBASSIES FOR THE USE OF CARS AND DRIVERS ETC.
5. IT IS OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO DRAW A CLEAR-CUT DISTINCTION BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CALLS, FOR EXAMPLE
IN THE CASE OF ECONOMIC OR TRADE RELATED CALLS AT MEAS OR THEIR EQUIVALENT. IN SOME COUNTRIES WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE LANGUAGE OR LOCAL BUREAUCRACY HKETOS MIGHT ALSO REQUIRE ASSISTANCE IN ARRANGING ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATED CALLS. BUT IT DOES SEEM TO ME THAT THE APPROACH SUGGESTED BY ROME AND WEBB JOHNSON IS ON THE RIGHT LINES. IT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE AUTONOMY OR NEAR AUTONOMY WHICH HONG KONG ENJOYS IN MANY ASPECTS OF ITS EXTERNAL RELATIONS: AND WOULD HELP TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHT PATTERNS AND PRECEDENTS FOR 1997 AND BEYOND.
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS. I WOULD THEN LIKE TO TRY TO DRAW
UP CLEARER GUIDELINES FOR POSTS.
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