RESTRICTED
HKD 126/1
4
0741ZZ
MDLIAN 8800
reporting
22/1
RE
BR
2 2 JAN 1993
RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 26
OF 21105OZ JANUARY 93
ING
INFO PRIORITY DTI, PEKING, ATTC TAIPEI
DTI FOR PS/MINISTER FOR TRADE, HEAD OF PEP, T02/20
CALL ON NCNA: TRADE STRATEGY
SUMMARY
1. COURTESY CALL ON VICE DIRECTOR OF THE NCNA OFFICE IN HONG KONG IN A FRANK AND FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. SUPPORT FOR THE MFT'S APPROACH TO THE GUANGZHOU METRO AND INTEREST IN THE TRADE STRATEGY. MILD CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNOR REBUTTED.
DETAIL
2. ON 18 JANUARY I PAID MY FIRST COURTESY CALL ON THE NCNA OFFICE IN HONG KONG AND WAS RECEIVED BY THE VICE DIRECTOR, ZHANG JUN ZHENG. HE IS AN IMPRESSIVE MAN.
3. THE CONVERSATION WAS GENERAL THROUGHOUT, MY AIM TO MAKE MY ROLE CLEAR AND ENLIST HIS CO-OPERATION OVER THE GUANGZHOU METRO. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MY LE1 FROM THE CHINA TRADE UNIT, CHUNG. RECORD WILL FOLLOW TO POLAD, HKD AND PEKING.
NELSON
4. WE BEGAN BY EXCHANGING GREETINGS TO AND FROM THE DIRECTOR, ZHOU NAN. (I KNEW HIM WELL IN NEW YORK WHEN CHINA TOOK UP HIS SEAT IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL. HE WAS AS THAT TIME ONE OF THE MORE ABLE AND OPEN OF THE CHINESE DIPLOMATS. HE HAD COME FROM RUNNING THE TANZAM RAILWAY: HE AND MY WIFE SHARED AN EAST AFRICAN INTEREST AND SPOKE SWAHILI TOGETHER. I MET HIM AGAIN SOON AFTER
I MY ARRIVAL AT A DINNER HE GAVE FOR THE BRITISH COUNCIL).
NOT EXPLAINED THAT I HAD NOT PAID AN EARLIER COURTESY CALL, WISHING TO DISPLAY MY IGNORANCE OF THE REGION. BUT WE NOW HAD SOMETHING USEFUL TO DISCUSS.
5. HE LISTENED WITH INTEREST AS I OUTLINED MR NEEDHAM'S STRATEGY AND EXPLAINED THE PROGRESS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE, PARTICULARLY THE CONSULTATIONS WITH MAJOR BRITISH INVESTORS. HE OFFERED FULL SUPPORT FOR OUR APPROACH TO THE GUANGZHOU METRO AND I SAID MY OFFICE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH HIS ABOUT THE DETAILS OF
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED