7
PERSONAL AND MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
S P Day Esq CMG
Senior Trade Commissioner
British Trade Commission
HONG KONG
10 December 1992
LAST PAPER
Der Stephen,
THE WORK OF THE TRADE COMMISSION
1.
As you approach six months in Hong Kong, I thought that it would be useful to take stock with the DTI of how the BTC's output is seen by your consumers here. I held a meeting in late November which brought together those concerned in the FCO and DTI. We had the benefit of your recent useful discussions with Malcolm Dougal: I am only sorry that your illness cut them short. I hope that the following conclusions will be useful to you in targetting BTC's efforts in 1993.
2.
Our general conclusion was that, while the post seems to be settling down after the transition from Peter Heap to yourself, the primary purpose of the BTC trade promotion - is still under-served. There is a feeling that too much attention is being given to related but secondary tasks, eg the new building and the British Chamber.
Objectives
3.
The post objectives might be a useful place to start. I regret that it has taken us this long to provide you with revised objectives. The consensus here is that the objectives which James Smith-Laittan submitted in his letter of 14 August still did not give
The first seven the correct priority to trade work. long-term objectives of the enclosed revision version, agreed by all concerned at this end, therefore deal in one way or another with trade promotion, while work on such issues as the new Consulate-General building and preparations for the move appear lower down the list, to reflect their appropriate place in the BTC's scheme of things. While I have noted what you have told me about the Secretary of State's remarks to you about your responsibilities over the Consulate-General, I cannot imagine that these were intended to detract from your primary commercial functions.
PERSONAL AND MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
нка
484/1125/1