·Dr. Ricketts, HKD
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Sir J. Cous
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From the Private Secretary
NAD,
CONFIDENTIAL
DILI
LT MON
IO DOWNING STREET
LONDON SWIA 2AA
Pinnes, News, Sp Advino
Dear Robin,
Discussed with Private office.
für üz Renwick mill fee this Kamskin
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January No fukter
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HONG KONG
7 January 1993
By agreement with Stephen Smith I am writing directly to you to record the following.
Ronnie Grierson telephoned me from New York yesterday to ask if he could call on the Prime Minister on his return to London today. He duly did so. He said that he had got to know over several years (by virtue of their common membership of the Board of W. R. Grace) a 39-year old American businesswoman called Virginia Kamsky. Her father, who is a Jewish professor of Russian origin, had advised her on leaving Princeton to learn Chinese. She had spent time in China, spoke the language flawlessly and had opened an office for David Rockefeller there some years previously. Subsequently she had left Rockefellers and had started her own office in Peking where she was the leading adviser to American companies seeking to invest or otherwise do business in China. She knew the Chinese leadership well.
Miss Kamsky had recently confided in Ronnie Grierson that she had been summoned to Little Rock where Bill Clinton had offered her the job of American Ambassador in Peking. She had asked Ronnie Grierson for his advice. Grierson had told her that he thought it would be a mistake to take the job. She already had excellent access to the Chinese leaders. She had a very good business. Did she want to sacrifice that and take on in exchange the task of arranging dinner parties for visiting Congressmen? Miss Kamsky had turned down the job but Clinton, who was determined to have her on his team if at all possible, had subsequently offered her the job of Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs. He had told her that the job would be beefed-up and that she would report directly to him. During Ronnie Grierson's last conversation with Miss Kamsky, yesterday, Clinton had telephoned to say that he must have a decision by 15 January. He had added that if Miss Kamsky did not accept the State Department job he very much hoped that she would nonetheless be his main troubleshooter in Peking. Ronnie Grierson had advised her that she should take the State Department job. She had not yet made up her mind.
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 021/3
20JAI 1907
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