R
TRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 196
OF 07111OZ JULY 92
RESTRICTED
000115
MDHIAN 0919
FOR HUM (AUSS) AND CHIEF CLERK.
YOUR TELNO 127: FUTURE BRITISH CONSULATE-GENERAL.
1.
THE REMIT I WAS GIVEN BY FCO MINISTERS WAS TO BUILD UP AND EVENTUALLY COMMAND THE STAFF OF THE NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I WAS CHOSEN FOR THIS POST BECAUSE OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED WORKING WITH OED ON BUILDING A NEW VISA/CONSULAR SECTION IN TUNIS, A NEW CHANCERY ALSO IN TUNIS, RE-DESIGNING THE EMBASSY IN DOHA AND RE-MODELLING THE CONSULATE-GENERAL IN ALBERTA. I HOPE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I
DO NOT OFFER ADVICE LIGHTLY. NOR DO I UNDERESTIMATE THE PROBLEMS MY ADVICE MIGHT CAUSE. BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT IF WE RUSH THINGS NOW WE SHALL PAY A HEAVY PRICE IN THE FUTURE. WERE I IN A MINORITY OF ONE (AND I AM NOT) IT WOULD BE WORTH WEIGHING THE THOUGHT THAT ALONE OF THOSE INVOLVED I SHALL LIVE AND WORK
WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
2. I TOO HAD ASSUMED THAT THE PLANNING HAD BEEN DONE AND THAT I WOULD INHERIT A WELL-THOUGHT OUT BRIEF, BUT I HAVE YET TO LOCATE IT. MY PREDECESSOR LEFT ME NOTHING. MOREOVER, THE PEOPLE I HAVE CONSULTED IN HONG KONG APPEAR TO BE WORKING ON DIFFERENT ASSUMPTIONS. MY MO, WHO IS THE ONLY MAN I HAVE YET MET IN HONG KONG WHO HAS GONE INTO THE PLANS IN ANY DETAIL, IS AWAY THIS WEEK.
3.
YOU SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER SET OUT ON PAPER THE FULL RANGE OF MY CONCERNS. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT I WAS ONLY BRIEFED ON THIS PROJECT AT A LATE STAGE OF MY SECOND BRIEFING TOUR IN LONDON. THE STAFFING AND OPERATION OF THE NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL WILL BE AS COMPLEX A CHALLENGE AS ANY THE DS FACES. MY CONCERNS INCREASE THE MORE I ENQUIRE AND THE MORE CONTRADICTORY THE ANSWERS I AM GIVEN.
4.
IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE DISCUSSION WITH YOU IN MY OFFICE ON 23 JUNE I SENT YOU ON THE PREVIOUS DAY A DETAILED SET OF PAPERS MAKING SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CLARIFY A NUMBER OF ISSUES DURING OUR DISCUSSION. WE AGREED THAT THE NEXT STEP
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