RESTRICTED
HKB 400/1
208
115404 MDLOAN 9805
RECEIVED IN
Y
11 JUL 1990
TOP COPY Q DIST?
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELNO 1248
OF 03013OZ JULY 90
AND TO ROUTINE BTC HONG KONG
HONG KONG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN BRAZIL
■
1 OUR EMBASSY IN BRASILIA HAVE SOUGHT OUR ADVICE ABOUT HOW THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD RESPOND TO AN INVITATION TO BECOME HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THE PROPOSED NEW HONG KONG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN BRAZIL.
2.
THE INITIATIVE FOR THE NEW CHAMBER STEMS IN PART FROM A VISIT TO RIO MADE SOME 18 MONTHS AGO BY MR JACK SO OF THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE NEW CHAMBER IS A MR CHARLES TANG A LEADING RIO-BASED CHINESE BUSINESSMAN WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE BRAZIL/CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN ADDITION TO THE INVITATION TO THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR. MR TANG HAS ALSO LET IT BE KNOWN THAT HE HAS IT IN MIND TO INVOLVE THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN BRASILIA IN THE CHAMBER'S WORK IN SOME ACTIVE ALTHOUGH AS YET UNSPECIFIED WAY.
3.
THERE IS LITTLE PRECEDENT HERE RELATING TO THE ACCEPTANCE BY HM REPRESENTATIVES OF SUCH HONORARY APPOINTMENTS, BUT OUR INITIAL VIEW IS THAT, GIVEN HONG KONG'S AUTONOMY IN TRADE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, THE CHAMBER'S CHOICE FOR THEIR HONORARY PRESIDENT IS PERHAPS A LITTLE ODD, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD SEE NO OVERRIDING OBJECTIONS.
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.
3.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
16
LIMITED
HKD
MR MCLAREN
มอม
DISTRIBUTION
16
MR BURNS
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED