8
2
GR 143
PRIORITY
OFFICA
RE
РА
CYPHER/CAT A
No.
FM F C 0 1918427
UNCLASSIFIED
HICK 016/4
KJ. 51
fü
207x
Submissum m Kas sulgest
See gro
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STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 794 OF 19 OCT 1978
PERSONAL FOR ROWLANDS FROM MCLAREN
SECONDMENT OF HONG KONG OFFICER TO FCO
1. DURING MY VISIT TO HONG KONG A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR FILLING THOMPSON'S POST AS HEAD OF THE HONG KONG SECTION OF MY DEPARTMENT WERE SUGGESTED. THESE HAVE NOW BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED HERE, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST SOLUTION FROM THE FCO POINT OF VIEW WOULD BE P J WILLIAMSON. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT SIR Y K KAU WILL AGREE TO HIS RELEASE AND THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE HIM AVAILABLE IN TIME TO START WORK IN LONDON EARLY IN JANUARY.
2. PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THE GOVERNOR THAT WE THOUGHT VERY SERIOUSLY ABOUT WILLIAMS, WHOSE MERITS ARE FULLY APPRECIATED HERE. THE DECISION WENT AGAINST HIM LARGELY BECAUSE OF OUR CONCERN TO GET A SERVING OFFICER WHO WOULD AFTERWARDS RETURN TO HONG KONG AND THUS CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION.
3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD THANK DONALD TSANG AND RAFAEL HUI FOR THEIR INTEREST AND EXPLAIN THAT WE CONCLUDED A RATHER MORE SENIOR MAN WAS NEEDED.
OVEN
NO DISTRIBUTION: HEAD OF HKGD
MR CORTAZZI MR ALEXANDER
FOD
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