CONFIDENTIAL
151076
MDTTAN 2973
COMMITTED TO TAKING AN ON-GOING INTEREST IN HONG KONG. THE GROUP WILL GET INTO GEAR AT A TIME WHEN JAPAN WILL PROGRESSIVELY TAKE MORE INTEREST IN HONG KONG AS 1997 APPROACHES. IN A WAY IT MIGHT BE PREFERABLE FOR INITIATIVES OF THIS SORT TO COME FROM THEM RATHER
THAN HASHIMOTO.
4
NONE OF THIS IS TO SUGGEST THAT EITHER THE IDEA ITSELF OR THE
INVOLVEMENT OF JAPANESE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS IN SOMETHING OF THIS SORT IS AT ALL BAD. HASHIMOTO'S ORIGINAL THOUGHTS WERE
CONCENTRATING MORE ON GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION THAN
QUOTE A PRIVATE SECTOR LED EVENT UNQUOTE. BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN
THAT IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION AND WITH DIFFERENT AIMS AND
PRIORITIES WE SHOULD NOT LAUNCH ON THE JAPANESE THE IDEA OF SUCH A
PRIVATE SECTOR LED EVENT.
5. IN SHORT, THERE SHOULD EITHER BE A CHANGE OF GEAR AND PEOPLE INVOLVED AT THIS END OR WE SHOULD FOR THE TIME BEING PUT THE IDEA ON THE BACK BURNER. THE DECISION ON THIS SEEMS TO US TO DEPEND VERY MUCH ON HONG KONG'S NEEDS. THE IMPLICATION OF PARA 4 OF FCO TUR IS THAT WE SHOULD HOLD OUR HORSES UNTIL NEARER TO 1997, BUT WE SHOULD WELCOME FURTHER GUIDANCE IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE THOUGHTS.
SIGNED G H FRY
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DISTRIBUTION
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