RESTRICTED AND PERSONAL
Pa
18 May 1993
J T Masefield Esq CMG AUSS
FCO
An under randable corrective from HC.
2615
Dear Thorld.
British High Commission Singapore
5 нко 021/2
03 JUN 1993
FICEP
ISTRY
you pu
Taken
62
MR GOODLAD'S VISIT TO SINGAPORE, 1-7 APRIL: HONG KONG
1.
I am glad to see from a copy of Mr Goodlad's minute of 14 April to the Secretary of State, which has now reached us, that his visit here last month went so well. I am particularly grateful for the Minister's emphasis, on his return, on the need for us to pay Singapore proper attention. The programme of Ministerial visits now in hand should go far to lay to rest accusations of neglect.
2.
I am not surprised that Hong Kong dominated his exchanges here both with Singaporean ministers and other contacts. It is the only issue on which we and Singapore presently differ. The Minister's account does suggest at one point (para 10) that the Singaporeans whom he met were unfamiliar with British policy and thinking on democracy and Hong Kong. Let me assure you that we have been at pains to ensure, ever since the Governor put forward his proposals last October, that the British side of the story is known to those who count. As indicated during our earlier exchanges (eg my telno 352 of 28 December '92) I have taken every opportunity to make our position clear in contacts with senior Singaporeans inside and outside the Government. The Governor's views have also been well covered: the Business Times carried a lengthy interview (copy enclosed) on 7 January, reported in the Straits Times. on 8 January; and Singapore Broadcasting Corporation put out an exchange on its well-regarded Inside Asia television programme on 30 March. My staff have also been in regular touch with senior journalists and academics (indeed, I understand that Leslie Fong, the editor of the Straits Times - the most important newspaper - told Mr Goodlad, when the latter observed that our views did not seem to have got across, that they were perfectly well-known!).
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