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TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1985
SPEAKING ON THE ROLE OF THE POLITICAL ADVISER IN HONG KONG, HE SAID THAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER AND HIS STAFF WERE SECONDED FROM THE BRITISH DIPLOMATIC SERVICE, BUT OWED THEIR LOYALTIES TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHILE THEY WORKED HERE.
+THE POLITICAL ADVISER WILL HAVE WORKED IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE AT VARIOUS STAGES IN HIS CAREER AND WILL BE FULLY FAMILIAR WITH ITS STRUCTURE, THE WAY IT OPERATES AND THE PERSONALITIES INVOLVED. SO HE IS IN A GOOD POSITION TO BRING HONG KONG'S CONCERNS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE FCO AND TO ADVISE OTHER HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
HE CAN DEPARTMENTS IN THE IR DEALINGS WITH THE FCO AND WHITEHALL. ALSO EXPLAIN WHY THE FOREIGN OFFICE THINKS AND ACTS AS IT DOES ON PARTICULAR ISSUES TO HIS HONG KONG COLLEAGUES,+ MR MCLAREN SAID.
OTHER THAN EXTERNAL TRADE AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, AN AREA IN WHICH HONG KONG HAS BEEN GIVEN AN INCREASING DEGREE OF PRACTICAL AUTONOMY, THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S WORK INVOLVES OFFERING ADVICE TO DEPARTMENTS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON SUBJECTS WHICH HAVE A EXTERNAL DIMENSION, HE SAID.
*THE POLITICAL ADVISER IS ALSO THE POINT OF CONTACT ON POLITICAL ISSUES BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENTS RESIDENT IN HONG KONG.
+AND HIS OFFICE AND THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS STAFF OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY TOGETHER PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND NEIGHBOURING CHINESE AUTHORITIES, HE SAID.
HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, HE SAID, WERE DOMINATED BY THE TERRITORY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, AND THAT THE BULK OF THE WORK OF HIS OFFICE WAS CONCERNED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.
REFERRING TO THE TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS, MR MCLAREN ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE NEARLY 390 HOURS OF DISCUSSION AND NEGOTIATION, IN ADDITION TO THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES AND INFORMAL CONTACTS AND THE DISCUSSIONS HELD DURING THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISITS TO PEKING IN APRIL AND JULY LAST YEAR.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE 22 PLENARY ROUNDS LASTED ABOUT THREE HOURS EACH, WHILE OVER 80 SEPARATE MEETINGS, EACH LASTING ON AVERAGE AT LEAST FOUR HOURS, WERE HELD BY THE WORKING GROUPS.
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