SECRET STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
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5. THE FIRST, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IMPLANT, WOULD PERHAPS BE POSSIBLE IF THE RIGHT PERSON WERE AVAILABLE. BUT THERE ARE SERIOUS DRAWBACKS
IN ADDITION IT IS NO USE PUTTING SOMEONE INTO THE JOB WHO CANNOT SPEAK MANDARIN AND WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE OF DEALING WITH THE CHINESE, SINCE THESE ARE THE
I KNOW IN FACT OF ONLY COMMODITIES ABOVE ALL WHICH WE CONTRIBUTE. ONE PERSON IN HKG WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IT: ANN SHEPHERD. UNDERSTAND THAT SHE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE.
6.
BUT I
I WOULD ALSO BE NERVOUS ABOUT LOYALTIES. INEVITABLY, SINCE IN MANY CASES WE ARE TRYING TO GINGER UP THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WE
WE ALSO HAVE SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF TIME MANOEUVRING TO GET OUR WAY. TO BE MORE OPEN WITHIN THIS OFFICE ABOUT THE INADEQUACIES WE PERCEIVE IN HKG THAN WE WOULD BE IN FRONT OF OUR HKG COLLEAGUES.
TO MY MIND HKG HAVE A CONSIDERABLE CHIP VIS A VIS THE FCO.
IT WOULD BE RISKY TO HAVE SOMEONE AT THE HEART OF THIS OPERATION WHO MIGHT WELL FEEL THAT THEIR FIRST LOYALTY WAS TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IF IT WENT WRONG IT MIGHT UNDO MUCH OF THE EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WHICH I HAVE BEEN BUILDING UP WITH HKG. COULD SUCH A PERSON TAKE CHARGE IN MY ABSENCE?
AND
7. THE OTHER SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE, SHARING A GRADE 4 WITH BTC SEEMS TO ME VERY UNDESIRABLE. I CONFESS TO WONDERING A LITTLE WHAT A GRADE 4 DEPUTY TRADE COMMISSIONER WOULD REALLY DO. FRANKLY, IT WE ARE SHORT OF RESOURCES IT WOULD SEEM TO ME TO BE VERY QUESTIONABLE TO TAKE STAFF FROM THIS OFFICE, WHICH IS CENTRAL
AND TO PUT TO THE MAIN POLICY QUESTIONS FACING US OVER HONG KONG, THEM INTO BTC, WHICH, FOR THE TIME BEING AT ANY RATE, IS NOT. THE TWO ROLES WOULD NOT BE IN ANY WAY COMPLEMENTARY, AND THERE IS SOME RISK THAT THE POSITION OF THE OFFICER CONCERNED WOULD BE IMPAIRED WITH HKG. I WOULD THINK THAT SHARING A GRADE 4 BETWEEN US WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE BOTH FOR THE OFFICER CONCERNED AND FOR PETER AND MYSELF.
I WOULD CHOOSE
8. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO SUGGESTIONS, A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IMPLANT, THOUGH FOR THE REASONS GIVEN ABOVE I THINK IT WOULD BE RISKY. I HOPE VERY MUCH THAT A CHOICE WILL NOT BE NECESSARY: IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THE PRIORITY WE ATTACH TO THE NEXT FEW YEARS IN HONG KONG, IT SHOULD NOT BE.
9. I DOUBT WHETHER THE JOINT DECLARATION IMPLICATIONS ARE QUITE AS SIMPLE AS YOU SUGGEST. BOTH SIDES HAVE HAD ONE OR TWO 'MEMBERS' OF THE JLG DERIVED FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS, ON OUR SIDE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AND ON THEIR SIDE THE NCNA. HOWEVER, THESE HAVE BEEN
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SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958