CONFIDENTIAL
2
4.
the
Because of the late arrival, the morning programme for official party was cancelled; the programme included briefings by Mr Ken Woodhouse, our Acting Secretary for Security, and Mr T H Chau, Secretary for Trade & Industry, a lunch to be hosted by Mr. Andrew Ma, Assistant Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and a helicopter tour. The whole programme for the business delegation was also
cancelled.
well spotted!
5.
The official party, however, met the Rt Hon Chris Patten, Governor of Hong Kong and Mr William Ehrman, Political
Adviser, in the afternoon of 28 June. There was also a photo opportunity for their call on the Governor and the Foreign
Minister held a press conference at the Airport before departure.
6.
Mr Ehrman, Political Adviser, and Mr V L Warrington, Director of Protocol who met the Foreign Minister and saw him off at the Airport, completed our standard questionnaires
(sample at Annex C) on the visit.
7.
Mr Warrington also had a separate meeting with Mr Martin Povejsil, Director-General of Latin American and Asian Sections of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was one of the officials accompanying the Foreign Minister, to discuss the possibility of opening a Czech consulate in Hong Kong.
8.
Both Messrs Ehrman and Warrington considered that the Foreign Minister had an average knowledge of Hong Kong. His general perception of Hong Kong was positive, but he seemed to be mainly interested in developing contacts with the HKTDC (and hence the business community in Hong Kong presumably for the purposes of encouraging investments in Czechoslovakia), and in
opening up a consulate here.
9.
The photo opportunity before the call on the Governor went smoothly. The pre-departure press conference lasted for
CONFIDENTIAL