CONFIDENTI AL
commensurate with her political importance on the international
stage
As you will know, the Secretary of State for Education
nd Science returned from her official visit to Feking with a
ide range of proposals for expanding our existing educational
nd scientific relations with China. These include the
reation of an English Language Institute in Peking or
hanghai; the recruitment of teachers and lecturers of English
or Chinese institutions of higher education; and a considerable
xpansion of both student placements in Britain and of exchanges
nd interchange at university and Academy Institute level.
These proposals were discussed at a meeting convened by
ES on 4 August at which the principal Government Departments
nd other organisations likely to be concerned were represented
t this meeting, it became clear that the British Council
ould have a major role to play, given its administration of
he existing exchange programme with China (which is no
ifferent in principle, though very different in scale, from
he present proposals), its capability in the English language
eaching field (including the recruitment of teachers), and
he applicability to the proposed programme of several schemes
hich it already operates elsewhere.
We have assumed that the Chinese will, as indicated to
rs Williams, be responsible for funding virtually the whole
f this expansion programme (which could cost as much as
11 million per annum when fully in operation). However there
re certain costs which could not be passed on to the Chinese.
hese (excluding the proposed Royal Society Exchanges with the
hinese Academy of Sciences, which are the subject of separate
egotiations) would be:
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