BY FAX
10 April 1992
•
A Budden Esq
ACDD
FCO
COMMERCIAL WASH
British Embassy Washington
140027002
3100 Massachusetts Ave N.W. Washington D.C. 20008,3600
Telephone: (202) 898 4265 Telex: RCA 211127 or 216760-WUI 61224
Facsimile: (202) RUN-4255
Dear Mr Budden
HONG KONG: PROPOSED EXPORT CONTROL VISIT
1. I passed Mr Nichols's letter of 30 March to Bob Price (State Department) on 7 April.
2. As you know (my letter of 26 March), Price had already told me that he was happy with the proposal for a visit in the week beginning 11 May, but wanted to revert on the question of which days in that week would suit the US. He has now told me that 11 and 12 May would be best from the US's point of view: the relevant US Embassies are likely to formally notify you and Hong Kong of this within the next week.
3.
Price also told me that he agrees that it would be useful to have some joint sessions with UK, HK and US officials during the US visit (para 3 of Mr Nichols's letter).
4.
I should also note that I have chased State again about the publication in the Federal Register of a rule change extending to Hong Kong the licensing benefits agreed in the recent Exchange of Letters between the UK, the US and Hong Kong (see my letter to Helen Taylor of 26 March). Pennington (State) told me that Hankin, his Deputy Assistant Secretary, had personally rung up OMB officials last week and told them to get a move on. OMB had claimed to be overloaded, but Pennington hoped Hankin's intervention would do the trick. State were as frustrated as we were, and would keep up the pressure.
your sincerely
Law Hiller
Edmund Hosker
First Secretary (Commercial)
CC
Ms H Taylor, NPDD, FCO
Mr T Furness, HKD, FCO
Ms A Morrison, OT2/3, DTI
Mr S Chung, HK Economic and Trade office, Washington (fax),