CONFIDENTIAL
4.
OUR REPRESENTATION IN EUROPE IS, AS YOU KNOW, MODEST AND WE ARF
INCREASINGLY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED NOT MERELY TO BE INFORMED BUT
ALSO TO SEEK TO INFORM AND REMOVE MISCONCEPTIONS IN THE MINDS OF
INFLUENTIAL EUROPEANS. THE ''HONG KONG IMAGE'
THE 'HONG KONG IMAGE IN THE EEC APPEARS
TO BE A STRANGE AND OFTEN VERY OUT-DATED THING AND THIS CAN HAVE
QUITE DISPROPORTIONATELY ADVERSE EFFECTS. ONE WAY WE HAVE BEEN
CONSIDERING IMPROVING THIS SITUATION IS BY EXTENDING A FEW WELL
CHOSEN INVITATIONS TO VISIT HONG KONG. THIS IS THE SORT OF EXERCISE
WHERE NOMINATED EMBASSY OFFICERS, HAVING THEMSELVES PAID A VISIT HERE, COULD OFFER VALUABLE ADVICE ON THE CHOICE OF SUITABLE INVITEES. THE SELECTIVE USE OF THE MEDIA IS ANOTHER OBVIOUS WAY
OF REACHING LEADERS OF OPINION,
5. WE WANT TOO TAKE AN EARLY FRESH LOOK AT HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN EUROPE AND ARE CONSIDERING SENDING AN EXPERIENCED OFFICER IN THE
FIELD TO CONDUCT A SURVEY OF OUR INFORMATION AND P.R. EFFORTS
IN EUROPE TO DETERMINE WHERE AND HOW THESE SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED. IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY FACILITATE HIS WORK CONSIDERABLY IF THERE WERE
NOMINATED OFFICERS IN EACH MISSION WHO COULD STEER HIM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS, THUS ENABLING HIM TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF LIMITED TIME. IN THE COURSE OF THIS SURVEY THE SYSTEM OF SEELECTING AND INVITING SUITABLE PERSONS COULD ALSO BE DISCUSSED: AND PERHAPS THE POSSIBILITIES FOR RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, WHILE VISITING EUROPE, MAKING THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO TALK TO INDIVIDUAL OR GROUPS AS PART OF THE SAME EXERCISE.
S
6. AS REGARDS THE LEVEL OF THE OFFICERS IN THE EMBASSIES WHO MIGHT BE NOMINATED, PERHAPS YOU ARE IN THE BETTER POSITION TO ASSESS THIS IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT IS SET OUT ABOVE. PRESUMABLY THOSE OF
A REASONABLY SENIOR RANK WOULD BE BETTER ACQUANTED WITH THE SORT OF INDIVIDUALS WE WANT TO REACH AND INFLUENCE.
7. WE ARE CONSCIOUS THAT THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A CRITICAL YEAR
FOR US IN EUROPE AND IF SOME SUCH ARRANGEMENT COULD BE SET UP SOON
IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. FOR OUR PART WE WOULD LIKE THE
SURVEY DONE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THE NEED SEEMS URGENT
2 CONFIDENTIAL
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