File Note
TRACC
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Reference
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BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Following on from my meeting with James Chin, I called on Mr Anthony Wood (McKenna & Co and deputy chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce) this morning.
Mr Wood has clearly given some thought to the extension of
He himself seems to have Barrie McWhirter's contract. decided that the renewal period should be limited to 12 months and that some way of fudging the issue of Mr McWhirters position in the secretariat (in other words, to leave it open to the Committee to appoint at any time either an adviser or a more senior director to run the office). But he thought Mr McWhirter would probably have to be kept on for another 12 months beyond September this year if only to see a number of proposals through.
Mr Wood had had a meeting with William Courtauld earlier this week. Mr Courtauld is less wedded to the idea now of
or indeed to recruiting a recruiting a military man
The point has now got through that highly paid director. it may be possible to secure the services of a senior
or indeed HKG official for a token retired businessman sum (possibly no more than a contribution towards accommodation costs).
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The status of the job and the opportunity to meet top politicians and businessmen will be attraction enough for some, and this ought to be explored fully first.
Mr Wood also shared Mr Chiu's concern that the Chamber could fast become a platform for the five British Hongs. That he thought must be avoided at all costs.
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On the British Consulate-General and the space required there for the BCC (200 square metres), Mr Wood thought the Committee would be prepared to give a long term commitment (and we were talking in terms of 10 years plus), but the rental the FCO proposed to charge would be a crucial deciding factor in the end (he a lawyer and other members of the Committee already know that under the terms of the PTG, HMG are not empowered to charge third parties
But on this issue rent for accommodation in the building. much depended on the wording of the clause and he said that he would be happy to give an opinion free of charge if we wished).
7 May 1993
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
処
J Smith-Laittan
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