TNAG-0116-FCO40-152-Departmental-Briefs-For-Meetings--Visits-and-Foreign-Affairs-1969 — Page 74

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

EN CLAIR

HONG KONG ΤΟ FOREIGN AND COMMON EALTH OFFICE

TELNO 636

UNCLASSIFIED

13 AUGUST 1969

OR INFORMATION POLICY DEPARTMENT FROM ROUN THWAITE. THE INFLUENTIAL FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW PROPOSES TO PUBLISH A SUPPLEMENT ON 25 SEPTEMBER CN BRITAIN IN ASIA. THIS IS IN LIEU OF THE SUPPLEMENT MENTIONED IN MYLET 13/9/1 OF 7 MARCH BUT WILL COINCIDE WITH THE OPENING OF BRITISH WEEK TOKYO. THE THEME WILL BE THAT BRITAIN HAS PLAYED A LARGER PART IN SHAPING THE HISTORY OF ASIA THAN ANY OTHER WESTERN NATION. THE WITHDRAWAL OF ITS GARRISONS FROM EAST OF SUEZ MARKS THE LAST STAGE IN THE RETREAT FROM EMPIRE.

THE BRITISH ARE NOW SEEKING A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REGION BASED PRIMARILY ON AN ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP, WITH BRITAIN'S CONSIDERABLE EXPERTISE IN ASIA THIS DEVELOPMENT PROMISES TO BE A FRUITFUL ONE. THE REVIEW WILL EXAMINE IN DEPTH THE WAY IN WHICH BOTH BRITAIN AND THE REGION ARE ADJUSTING TO THE TRANSITION AND WILL OFFER AN AUTHORITATIVE EVALUATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH BRITISH BUSINESSMEN ARE MAKING TO ASIA'S DEVELOPMENT.

2. THE EDITOR HAS ASKED WHETHER A SENIOR BRITISH CABINET MINISTER PREFERABLY MR WILSON, MR STEWART, MR CROSLAND OR MR HEALEY WOULD CONTRIBUTE A 600 WORDS INTRODUCTION OUTLINING BRITAIN'S ROLE IN THE .

REGION. SIMILAR SUPPLEMENTS HAVE RECEIVED CONTRIBKTIONS FROM THE PRIME MINISTERS OF AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND INDIA.

3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW BY TELEGRAM WHETHER THIS REQUEST, WHICH HAS MY STRONG SUPPORT, CAN BE MET FOR A DEADLINE OF 4

SEPTEMBER.

4. RELEVANT VOLUME OF DSP IS NOT HELD BY THIS POST AND I APOLOGISE

IF CORRECT PROCEDURE HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED.

5. LETTER FOLLOWS.

SIR D. TRENCH

FILES

I.P.D.

F.E.D.

NOWS D.

10

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