SECRET AND PERSONAL
the Governor via a middle-ranking British official
who incidentally already attends ExCo; the change could probably be achieved without significant resistance from the Hong Kong civil service;
con this would only deal with part of the problem.
A DS4 or DS5 from London would not have the status to deal on equal terms with the senior figures in the Hong Kong Government, or (probably) the breadth of experience to establish himself as a close adviser of
the Governor across the board.
(iii)
A Diplomatic Adviser's Office. The Governor would be accompanied by a widely-experienced senior grade DS officer who might be called the Diplomatic Adviser. He in turn would need assistance, probably a DS5 officer and a Secretary. If the Diplomatic Adviser himself was not a sinologist, the DS5 would need to be. The Diplomatic Adviser and his team would need
offices in GH (which could pose problems of space). He would be the principal point of contact with London (and probably with China), and a source of independent policy advice to the Governor. Beyond that, it would be up to the Governor whether the Diplomatic Adviser took on wider roles, eg attending ExCo meetings, or maintaining contact with members of LegCo, the business community, or the other British
representatives in Hong Kong.
MAIAAT/7
SECRET AND PERSONAL
/pro