FOR RICKETTS, HKD
CONFIDENTIAL
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HKC 486/1
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147)
076175
MDLIAN 9281
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 210: FUTURE BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL
I HAVE DISCUSSED THE POINTS RAISED IN YOUR TUR AND THOSE REPORTED IN MY TELNO 298 WITH THE GOVERNOR. HE SAID HIS PRIMARY CONCERN WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BRITISH COUNCIL OF COLLOCATION WITH THE CONSULATE GENERAL HAD BEEN FULLY THOUGHT THROUGH. IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING OF A BACKLASH AGAINST THE U.K. AFTER 1997 AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL COULD BE DIS-ADVANTAGED BY BEING TOO CLOSELY IDENTIFIED WITH HMG'S OFFICIAL PRESENCE. I SAID THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE THIS WAS A DILEMMA THE BRITISH COUNCIL FACED ALMOST EVERYWHERE AND THEIR APPROACH IN DIFFERENT CAPITALS RANGED FROM ALMOST TOTAL INTEGRATION IN THE DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO ALMOST TOTAL SEPARATION, AND THAT I ASSUMED IN THIS INSTANCE THE COUNCIL HAD WEIGHED UP THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE OPTING FOR COLLOCATION. CLEARLY THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES HERE TOO. FOR MY PART I HAD WELCOMED THEIR DECISION TO COLLOCATE- BECAUSE THEIR SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE WOULD ENSURE A LARGER BUILDING WHICH MIGHT ENABLE US TO REGISTER A MORE VISIBLE BRITISH PRESENCE. WE AGREED THAT I WOULD REPORT THIS EXCHANGE TO YOU SO THAT YOU MIGHT ENSURE THAT THESE POINTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN DUE CONSIDERATION AND AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT MADE OF THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGE/DISADVANTAGE. THE GOVERNOR HAS ASKED TO SEE THE PAPER SETTING OUT THE ARGUMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS.
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