Mr Martin Dinham
GH
Confidencial & Persona.
PERSONAL
Jardines
I had breakfast with Mr Barrow on 17 April.
на gave
me the attached copy of a letter of 14 April from Sir C Powell to Mr Ricketts, which the Governor will have seen in London.
2.
-
He said the extent of Jardines' business in China wes
not often appreciated. In fact, they had 47 joint ventures on the mainland. Mr Barrow nevertheless wondered - contrary to
Sir C Fcwell's views whether it would not be counter
productive to raise the issue in the talks in Peking. He said Mr Rich shared his doubts. I said I personally agreed with him: the Chinese would think their action against Jardines was really hurting us anu chat Lione sam significant leverage in it.
I told My Barrow, on a personal basis, that we hoped
the EC Cemission would raise threats to British and French trade with the Chinese in the margins of the 28/29 April
EC-China Joint Commission.
4.
I am copying this, on a strictly personal basis, to Deputy to Governor, FS and Mr Galsworthy. Also to Mr Ricketts.
ho. e. Ehrman
(WG Ehrman) Political Adviser 17 April 1993