RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 276
OF 230112Z AUGUST 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
COPY
134
0
16
112604
MDHIAN 4660
VISIT OF LORD CAITHNESS
1. THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG HAVE ASKED ME TO PASS ON A REQUEST THAT THEY BE ALLOWED TO MEET WITH LORD
CAITHNESS DURING HIS VISIT. THEY WOULD LIKE TO HOST A COCKTAIL PARTY FOR THEIR MEMBERS FOR HIM, BUT FAILING THAT WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE HIM AT ANY TIME AND IN ANY FORMAT.
2. THE PROGRAMME CLEARLY IS ALREADY VERY FULL, BUT I AM SURE IT WOULD BE VALUABLE, AND WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, IF THE CHAMBER, WHICH IS THE ONLY REPRESENTATIVE BODY FOR BRITISH BUSINESS IN HONG KONG, WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE MINISTER. A SHORT COCKTAIL PARTY ON ANY OF 17, 19 OR 20 SEPTEMBER FROM, SAY 6 OR 6.30 TO SAY 7 OR 7.30, WOULD APPEAR POSSIBLE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE DRAFT PROGRAMME IN HK TELNO 2418. MY OWN LUNCH, SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER WILL OF COURSE BE ATTENDED LARGELY BY BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES WITH BRITISH BUSINESSMEN IN THE MAJORITY. THE NUMBERS HOWEVER WILL NECESSARILY BE LIMITED. MOREOVER THE CHAMBER FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME HAS HAD SCHEDULED A LUNCH MEETING FOR MRS EDWINA CURRIE MP ON THAT SAME DAY TO WHICH MANY MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER WILL FEEL COMMITTED (ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT, POVEY, HAS SAID HE WILL COME TO MY LUNCH). THUS MY LUNCH FOR LORD CAITHNESS WOULD NOT REALLY BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR A CHAMBER EVENT. IF NO SOCIAL EVENT IS POSSIBLE THEN THE CHAMBER WOULD HAPPILY ACCEPT A SHORT MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE, AT WHICH NO DOUBT THEY WOULD WISH TO VOICE THEIR VIEWS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE, AND PROBABLY ON PASSPORT ISSUES.
HEAP
YYYY
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED