43-
bos:
Hong Kong Department, FCO SEAD, FCO (with enc)
fu Goru file
28 July 1993
-MUD
(with enc) - not receive
010
RECEIVED IN RE 11 AU
DESK OFF
INDE
in iEAS
Mc Rasik
Abrendy seen.
Governor and Commander-in-Chief The Rt Hon Christopher Patten
Government House Upper Albert Road Hong Kong
11ear Governor,
BIEN
British Embassy Manila
LV Locsin Building
6752 Ayala Avenue
1226 Makati, Metro Manila
Philippines (P.O. Box 2927 MCPO)
Telephone: (632) 8167116
Telex: 63282 PRODME PN
Facsimile: (632) 8197206
From the Ambassador
I enclose a self-explanatory letter which I have received from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry inviting you to be Guest Speaker at a Business Conference to be held in Manila from 13-15 December.
I do not know whether this is the kind of invitation you would be free to attend or indeed would consider it appropriate to accept, but were you to come you would be made most welcome and would receive saturation media coverage. It would be easy to ensure a television appearance also, if you so wished.
The Philippines takes a close interest in Hong Kong and its future because of the growing business links between the Colony and the Philippines; speculation upon the implications for the Philippines of the handover to China in 1997; and because of the very large numbers of Filipinos now employed in Hong Kong. I am sure that in explaining the basis of your current policy, in what is now one of the most democratic systems in South East Asia, you would be speaking to a sympathetic audience.
If you wished to combine business with pleasure (?) I am sure we could arrange a call on President Ramos, indeed I suspect this would be difficult to avoid.
I would naturally hope that if you and your wife, if she decided to accompany you, wished to come here that you would stay at the Residence - though I fear you will find it somewhat modest by comparison with Government House.
stincosely.
your
Alan Mant
A E Montgomery
HM Ambassador