CONFIDENTIAL
CHINA EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS AND INADEQUACY OF EXISTING RESOURCES
!
G
H
1. Mrs Williams returned from her official wisit to Feking in July 1978 with a wide range of proposals for expanding our existing educational and scientific relations with China. These included the creation of an English Language Institute in Feking or Shanghai; the recruitment of teachers and lecturers of English for Chinese institutions of higher education; and a considerable expansion of both student placements in Britain and of exchanges and interchange at university and Academic Institute level.
2. The British Council have a major role to play in China, given its administration of the existing exchange programme (which is no different in principle, though very different in scale, from the present proposals), its capability in the English Language teaching field (including the recruitment of teachers), and the applicability to the proposed programme of several schemes which it already operates elsewhere.
3. We had assumed that the Chinese would, as indicated to Mrs Williams, be responsible for funding virtually the whole of this expansion programme. Nevertheless, we recognised that additional expenses would be incurred by the British Council, eg the cost of reinforcing the Embassy in Feking to cope with the increased level of exchanges. The FCO therefore recommended (Mr Samuel's submission of 24 August) that we should seek Treasury approval for an increase in British Council funds to meet the cost of expansion in our educational
The exchanges with China as a consequence of Mrs Williams' visit. Secretary of State considered however that we should "in the first instance" look to existing resources.
4.
We accordingly asked the British Council to consider whether they could meet the increase from within their existing resources.
They have been able to find extra money (a total of £320,000 for the current year) to finance an expanded programme of educational exchange, including reinforcing the Embassy in Feking to cope with the increased level of exchanges, provided the Chinese are able to
/meet
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.