SDA,
PRIL 17, 1985
20
OVERSEAS OFFICES ARE GOVT'S EYES AND EARS
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THE OVERSEAS OFFICES ARE THE GOVERNMENT'S EYES AND EARS OVERSEAS FOR ALL RELEVANT PURPOSES, THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, THE HON PETER TSAO, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
+ THE FUNCTIONS OF OUR OVERSEAS OFFICES NOW INCLUDE RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPING HONG KONG INFORMED OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL EVENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE TO HONG KONG, FOR ENSURING THAT HONG KONG'S CASE ON A VARIETY OF MATTERS IS GIVEN A FAIR HEARING, FOR MAKING AND MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH PERSONS WHO MAY HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON MATTERS AFFECTING HONG KONG, FOR ARRANGING EXCHANGE VISITS, FOR DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ABOUT HONG KONG, FOR PROMOTING AND PROTECTING HONG KONG'S IMAGE OVERSEAS, AND FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS GENERALLY, MR TSAO SAID.
REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED BY THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG CONCERNING THE OVERSEAS OFFICES, MR TSAO SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL NEED FOR OVERSEAS REPRESENTATION STEMMED FROM TRADE MATTERS. BUT IN RECENT YEARS IT HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR REPRESENTATION ON A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF ISSUES.
THE OVERSEAS OFFICES HAD CEASED TO BE PURELY TRADE OFFICES WHEN THE OLD TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT WAS DEFEDERALISED IN 1982, HE SAID.
IN ANNOUNCING THE CHANGE, MR TSAO SAID, THE CHIEF SECRETARY HAD INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OVERSEAS OFFICES IN WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA WOULD BE ASSUMED BY THE COUNCILS AND ADMINISTRATION BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT AS AN INITIAL STEP IN TRANSLATING THEM FROM DEPARTMENTAL SUB-OFFICES OVERSEAS INTO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES COMPARABLE IN STATUS, IF NOT IN RANGE OF FUNCTIONS, WITH THE LONDON OFFICE, WHOSE PARENT DEPARTMENT WAS THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
MR TSAO SAID THE CORRECTNESS OF THIS DECISION HAD BEEN UNDERLINED IN THE PERIOD FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
+THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRADE ISSUES HAS DIMINISHED FAR FROM IT, BUT THE NEED FOR HONG KONG TO HAVE A VISIBLE OVERSEAS PRESENCE HAS TAKEN ON A NEW DIMENSION, + HE SAID.
MR TSAO SAID THE BALANCE OF WORK BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICES VARIED FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION.
/THUS THE