CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 12
CONFIDENTIAL
MsMyrszeń
Ms Maröden
OF 14095OZ JANUARY 91
I have
HKB 182 / 3
Mars Marsden, HF)
ila speak.
repten 1944.
på
A
for
112710
MDLIAN 0388
11
PERSONAL FOR ALAN PAUL, HEAD OF HKD AND ANDREW BURNS, AUSS FROM HEAP
1.
YOU WILL BE ALL TOO AWARE OF MY FREQUENT PLEA TO BE KEPT BETTER INFORMED ON A VARIETY OF DEVELOPMENTS WHICH I THINK ARE OF PROPER CONCERN TO THIS POST. IN A SEPARATE TELEGRAM (MY TELNO 11) I ASK THAT WE BE INCLUDED AS AN INDEPENDENT ADDRESSEE FOR INFORMATION THE GULF CRISIS SINCE, LIKE IT OR NOT, MANY PEOPLE HERE, AND PARTICULARLY VISITORS, DO REGARD US AS THEIR PRIME SOURCE OF OFFICIAL BRITISH INFORMATION AND ADVICE INCLUDING ON CONSULAR ASPECTS OF THE PRESENT CRISIS. GOVERNMENT HOUSE HAVE ALSO JUST SHOWN ME RECENT TELEGRAMS CONCERNING EVENTS IN MANILA. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THAT TOO IN OUR OWN RIGHT, WITHOUT BEING DEPENDENT ON GOVERNMENT HOUSE TO DECIDE IF AND WHEN TO INFORM ME. IN JUNE 1989 WHEN FCO DEPENDENTS WERE BROUGHT HERE FROM PEKING IT WAS THIS OFFICE AND NOT THE HKG WHO HANDLED ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS. DESPITE HONG KONG TELNO 4 TO MANILA IT ALREADY CLEAR THAT THE HKG ARE EXPECTING THIS POST AND NOT THEMSELVES TO PUT PREPARATIONS IN HAND AND TO IMPLEMENT THEM IF NECESSARY. ANOTHER AREA IS RELATIONS WITH CHINA OVER THE AIRPORT. I KNOW ONLY WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWSPAPERS ABOUT LAST WEEK'S TALKS IN PEKING: I ASSUME THERE MUST HAVE BEEN EXCHANGES WITH PEKING AND WITH HONG KONG BOTH BEFOREHAND ON THE LINE TO BE TAKEN, ON THE TALKS AS THEY HAPPENED, AND THEN ON THEIR OUTCOME. IT WOULD AT ANY TIME BE OF VALUE TO US TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT WITH MR LILLEY'S VISIT IMMINENT WHEN HE IS CERTAIN TO BE QUIZZED CLOSELY BY THE PRESS ON BRITAIN'S POSITION ON THESE ASPECTS, IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
2.
I AM OF COURSE WELL AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND SENSITIVITIES, AND ALSO THAT MUCH OF WHAT WE DO SEE IS A RESULT OF YOUR EFFORTS TO BRING US IN. BUT I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR NEEDS CONSTANTLY IN MIND. ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE NO DOUBT THINK THAT OUR ONLY CONCERN IS TRADE PROMOTION, I DOUBT WHETHER CURRENTLY THE POST IS SPENDING EVEN 50 PER CENT OF ITS TIME ON DIRECTLY RELATED TRADE WORK, WITH THE PASSPORT ISSUE, CONSULAR AND INFORMATION TYPE ENQUIRIES,
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