TNAG-0223-FCO40-259-Appointment-of-financial-secretary-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 8

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CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION IN HONG KONG 7th Floor, Shell House, Queen's Road, Central, HONG KONG Mail Address: P.O. Box No. 528, Hong Kong Cable Address: "Uktrade Hongkong" Telephone: 230176

ihice

1970 / We making here

1 December, 1970.

Our reference: 6/6/5. INDIV.

Your reference:

A. F. Toms, Esq.,

Department of Trade & Industry, Commercial Relations & Exports, London, S.W.1.

Thank you for letting me have a copy of the Note for File on Phillip Haddon Cave's visit to the Department.

I found it very depressing reading and a confirmation of all

I said in my letter of 24 November (reference 21/9 (II) ) to you. It is surely a lamentable state of affairs when British exports are only given equal treatment with all our competitors in a British Colony. Cur own impression from bitter experience is that the local Government leans over backwards to be neutral to such an extent that British products tend to be at a disadvantage compared with those of foreign countries and even compared with the treatment of British exports in foreign countries.

I had originally intended (in a first draft of this letter) to try and give you some impression of the anti-British atmosphere in which we have to work here (I could give you innumerable instances within my own experience), but on re-reading my draft, I came to the conclusion that this would not be helpful.

My intention, however, was not to show resentment at the hypercritical attitude of Hong Kong repatriates towards the mother country but to fill in some of the background to your interview with Haddon Cave. He himself incidentally I have always found to be a fairly reasonable person, although obviously very much under the influence of John Cowperthwaite at the moment. He is, however, very intelligent in, I believe, a rather more liberal sense than John and he is a man one can talk to and argue with in rational terms. There is reason to believe, therefore, that it will no longer be "un dialogues des sounds".

However, I do not think we can expect Haddon Cave to show much originality of thought as long as John Cowperthwaite is here and even after that, any changes there may be will come slowly. In the recorded interview the Master's voice is very much in evidence.

CONFIDENTIAL

Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omis sions in that information and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing of any firms, companies, or individuals mentioned.