MR Furnes, Hu)
17 Ark 1991
18 APRIL
17.00
From: T Furness
Hong Kong Department
Date: 17 April 1991
HKB 340/1
20F
Mr Raúl
CC:
Sir J Coles
17/4
Mr Burns
PS/Lord Caithness
で
CALL ON LORD CAITHNESS BY MR GRAHAM BRIGHT MP ON 18 APRIL
A
1.
Mr Bright wrote to the Secretary of State on 14 March
and referred to four points which were raised at the lunch
the Prime Minister hosted for the Anglo-Hong Kong Trust.
Lord Caithness has agreed to meet Mr Bright at 1700 on
18 April. I submit bull points on these four points for use at this meeting.
War Cranes
Leader. / Chef whip Mannes
General situatia
T Furness
Peter
C
Grahan would like
the first
short note
covery
three points raised at hich
с
BRIAEH/1
CC
18
CALL ON LORD CAITHNESS BY MR GRAHAM BRIGHT MP ON 18 APRIL
BULL POINTS
A
Positive signal of UK's permanent interest in Hong Kong required?
-
-
Positive signals already exist.
HMG plans for a large Consulate General. Will be one of
our largest.
Already a large British Council presence.
- Over 400 British-owned and represented companies have offices in Hong Kong.
Major British owned conglomerates eg Jardine Matheson and Swire Pacific have substantial interests in Hong Kong.
-
-
UK exports to Hong Kong amounted to £1.24 billion in 1990
(an increase of 11.4% over previous year).
Total gross stock market value of British-owned or controlled companies is about £22 billion.
B
China's MFN status? (Annex HK telno 1062)
We are agreed on importance to Hong Kong economy that renewal of China's MFN status represents.
(Loss could lead
to loss of up to 43,000 jobs, HK$12 bn in trade and drop in GDP of about one third.)
Prime Minister has already spoken to President Bush this year stressing importance of issue.
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C
-
Secretary of State recently assured Chinese leaders of our
best efforts with the US administration and with Congress.
Importance of Hong Kong as a stepping-stone to South China?
Agree entirely. Both we and DTI emphasise the important
nature of Hong Kong as a stepping stone not only to South
China but to other countries in the Pacific Rim area.
-
D
1997 should be viewed not as the end of an era but as the
opening up of new opportunities in the greater Hong Kong/China market.
-
Secretary of State made a particular point of stopping in Guangzhou during his recent visit to reinforce this point.
A politician rather than a diplomat should be in a high- profile position in Hong Kong
-
The Governor of Hong Kong has been the subject of occasional criticism, mainly generated from London by business interests which have their own agenda
(Henry Keswick).
- As the Secretary of State has made clear the Governor has
HMG's full confidence.
is doing a very difficult job
and doing it well.
Не
There are no plans to make the position of Governor a political appointment.
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