TNAG-0285-FCO40-321-British-government-representative-in-Hong-Kong-discussion-on-1970 — Page 8

Confidential

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Mr. Wilford

Sir L. Monson

British Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong

You will have seen the minuting about a British Government Representative in Hong Kong.

2.

The present position is that the British Trade Commission in Hong Kong is neither an independent Mission whose head is accredited to a foreign Government, nor a subordinate Post responsible to a larger Mission. It is a small Post, staffed by the Diplomatic Service, fulfilling a specialised function inside a Crown Colony.

3. The main functions of the Post are commercial and economic. The vast bulk of the work consists of export promotional effort and the Post is in constant correspondence with Commercial Relations & Export Department of the Board of Trade. Additio- nally the Post reports on the Hong Kong economy and is also involved in work on quotas, tariffs andother aspects of Hong Kong/British economic relations.

4. The Post also has quite a large administrative work load in helping to look after other British Officers in Hong Kong, in organising travel, stores and baggage for the Mission in Peking, and in looking after the arrangements for our Chinese language students. The Post supervises the work of the British Diplomatic Service Mail Office inHong Kong.

5.

The Senior Trade Commissioner is accredited to Portugal as HM Consul (non-resident) in Macao, and two of his staff are accredited as Vice-Consuls. These extra functions do not involve much work for the Post.

6. The Trade Commission has an Information Section, opened in 1968, its terms of reference being:-

(a)

(6)

to increase the vigour and effectiveness of Britain's trade and commercial effort in Hong Kong;

to secure a better understanding of British

economic policies and achievements;

discreetly to promote an understanding of

Britain's general, domestic and overseas policies;

(a) to maintain close consultations with the Hong Kong

Government at all times.

7.

Although there can be no question of any extension of the Trade Commission's work into the political field, an appointment such as that now contemplated would fit in well with a

delegation of authority to Hong Kong in trade matters.

Confidential

18.

Confidential

2.

8. We shall presumably have to discuss this matter with the Governor at some time. In this connection, we shall also have to bear in mind the position of Mr. Michael Wright, the Administrative Commissioner for the Government of Hong Kong in London.

9.

step.

I would welcome an opportunity of discussing the next

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E. 0. Laird

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Hong Kong Department

28 October, 1970

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CONFIDENTIAL

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I discussed this with hic Amon Paul with of an a result crainte GM Day.

of th Wilfes

British Government Representative

in Hong Kong.

You asked me to look at the attached minuting.

En.

ワki

If I may say so, your conclusion that it would be

impossible to have a British Government Representative in

Hong Kong is absolutely right. It would be an impos ible

job to do and the holder is likely to find himself a lightning

conductor for the grievances, real and imaginary, of the

more vocal part of the population and nothing more.

3.

But there is nothing unique in the conflict of

loyalties (to borrow Mr. Tickell's phrase) which faces any

Governor. Any colonial governor has had to be something of

a Janus, facing towards the Secretary of State who is responsible

for his appointment (and can remove him, if unsatisfactory)

and towards the people of the territory who pay his salary

and whose views he has to represent to H.N.G. All to some

extent tend to lean toward the people of the territory whose

pressure on them is most constant of the two though, if the

card: are down, e.ɛ. in a security situation, most have emerged

as the executive of H.M.G. In general however they have seen

their job as the reconciliator of conflicting interests.

4.

This her not happened in Hong Kong because the

occasions of conflict with the U.K. have increased manifold

since Hong Kong became a manufacturing rather than entrepô!

centre and consequently an industrial corpetitor with the U.K.

and at the same time Sir Alexander Grantham set the pattern

for Governors of over-identification with his Colony.

COLELSE. TIAL

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