XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985

+THUS THE GENEVA OFFICE IS PRIMARILY, BUT BY NO MEANS EXCLUSIVELY, CONCERNED WITH THE MULTI-LATÉRAL ASPECTS OF COMMERCIAL RELATIONS, IN PARTICULAR, MATTERS FALLING WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE. BUT IT ALSO DEALS WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEMS AND HAS A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN KEEPING THE LARGE AND AVIDLY INTERESTED DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY THERE ABREAST OF EVENTS SURROUNDING HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

+THE NEW YORK OFFICE, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH PROMOTING AND PROTECTING HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN THE UNITED STATES, LEAVING OVERSIGHT OF TRADE MATTERS LARGELY, BUT NOT ENTIRELY, TO THE SUBORDINATE WASHINGTON OFFICE, HE SAID.

WITH THIS GREATLY EXPANDED ROLE IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO SENSE TO PLACE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OFFICES UNDER THE NARROWER AUSPICES OF THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, LET ALONE KEEP THESE OFFICES AS SUB-OFFICES OF THE NEW TRADE DEPARTMENT, MR TSAO SAID.

+MANY PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT, AT DIFFERENT TIMES, WILL CALL UPON THE SERVICES OF THE OVERSEAS OFFICES AND IN THEIR TURN WILL BE CALLED ON BY THE OFFICES FOR ASSISTANCE. APART FROM THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY (AND THE TRADE DEPARTMENT), THE SECRETARIES FOR SECURITY, FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES AND FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THEIR ASSOCIATED DEPARTMENTS ARE TO A LESSER OR GREATER EXTENT CLIENTS OF OUR OVERSEAS OFFICES, AS AM❘ MYSELF UNDER THE INFORMATION HALF OF MY PORTFOLIO,+ HE SAID.

MR TSAO STRESSED THAT THE OVERSEAS OFFICES WERE COMMON SERVICE FACILITIES UPON WHICH ALL SECRETARIAT BRANCHES AND EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS MIGHT CALL, AS AND WHEN THE NEED AROSE.

+ IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT THE OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADMINISTERING THESE OUTPOSTS RESTS WITH ONE, RELATIVELY NEUTRAL PORTFOLIO. IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION WITH HIS SEVERAL, CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES BEST FITS THIS BILL AND NO CHANGE IN THESE CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT ARRANGEMENTS IS CONTEMPLATED, MR TSAO SAID.

TURNING TO MR CHEONG'S POINT THAT NOT ENOUGH MANPOWER WAS DEPLOYED IN THESE OFFICES TO DO ALL THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, MR TSAO SAID MR CHEONG MIGHT WELL BE RIGHT AND THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AS RESOURCES FOLLOWED IN PURSUIT OF OUR ASPIRATIONS.+

HOWEVER, MR TSAO SAID HE DID NOT WISH IT TO BE THOUGHT EVEN SUSPECTED THAT THE OVERSEAS OFFICES WERE INEFFECTIVE.

OR

/+MUCH OF