RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 03003OZ BTC HONG KONG TELNO 4
OF 021745Z JANUARY 91
MYB3.311/1
4 FL 1091
is
055340
MDHOAN 4587
PERSONAL FOR SENIOR TRADE COMMISSIONER FROM BURNS, AUSS
TOP MANAGEMENT ROUND
1. I THOUGHT I SHOULD DROP YOU A LINE TO THANK YOU FOR THE EXTREMELY THOROUGH AND WELL-PRESENTED RETURN WHICH YOU SENT US FOR THIS YEAR'S TOP MANAGEMENT ROUND. I THOUGHT YOUR OBJECTIVES WERE A MODEL OF THOROUGHNESS AND CLARITY.
2=
I SHALL BE WRITING IN DUE COURSE TO THE HEADS OF MISSION IN MY PARISH ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE TMR. BUT I WANTED TO TAKE UP ONE POINT WITH YOU NOW - NAMELY, THE SUGGESTION IN YOUR RETURN THAT CHRIS OSBORNE SHOULD DEVOTE MORE OF HIS TIME TO COMMERCIAL INFORMATION WORK.
3. THIS IS CERTAINLY A MORE SENSIBLE PROPOSITION THAN THAT OF THE INSPECTORS (IE, THAT HE SHOULD DO SOME STRAIGHT COMMERCIAL WORK). AND I DO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMERCIAL INFORMATION WORK. BUT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WE AND MINISTERS GREATLY VALUE CHRIS'S POLITICAL INFORMATION WORK AND ROLE AS PRESS OFFICER. WE SEE THIS AS HIS CENTRAL FUNCTION IN HONG KONG. IF HE HAS THE TIME TO STEP UP HIS COMMERCIAL INFORMATION WORK, ALL WELL AND GOOD. BUT WE WOULD NOT WANT HIS ABILITY TO CARRY OUT POLITICAL INFORMATION WORK IMPAIRED OR DIMINISHED. SO, IF HE IS TO TAKE ON MORE, IT HAD BETTER BE CLEARLY DEFINED PIECES OF WORK THAT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED OR NOT AS THE POLITICAL SITUATION REQUIRES.
4. AS YOU KNOW, THE DECISION TO SEND AN EXPERIENCED INFORMATION OFFICER, CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE LOCAL PRESS AND OF ENSURING THAT THE BRITISH VOICE IS HEARD IN HONG KONG, WAS A NEW DEPARTURE FOR US, CONSISTENT WITH OUR POLICY OF BUILDING UP THE ROLE OF YOUR MISSION IN THE YEARS UP TO 1997. I THINK THE EXPERIMENT HAS PROVED A SUCCESS: BOTH WE AND NEWS DEPARTMENT HAVE FOUND CHRIS'S PRESENCE VERY USEFUL ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS: AND HIS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE HAS BEEN OF VALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO
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RESTRICTED MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE