TNAG-0840-FCO40-1049-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 29

>

fr

Логашини - нест) і

59

Sino-British Trade Council

SB

TC

中英贸易协会

President: Lord Nelson of Stafford

Sponsors: The Association of British Chambers of Commerce ⚫ The China Association

The Confederation of British Industry · The London Chamber of Commerce

Third Floor

1287

M. Gong 1.10

DA.

ما.

FED - for draft repues se

cc Security text

CC

25 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SWIH 9BU TRED Telephones 01-222 8785 and 01-222-9600 EESD

Sir Michael Palliser, GCMG., Permanent Under-Secretary of State

& Head of the Diplomatic Service, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Downing Street, London, SWLA 2AL.

Dean Michael,

[

امحه

Нкка HKK 020/1

DEX OFFICE

7th

HK GDY

AVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 Masa 1OCT29 September 1979

PECISTRY, Evans

fil D. Murray Mer Cortazzi

PS I Pus

INDEX

A

I am writing to alert you of a problem which may be raised by Premier Hua Guofeng with the British Government during his forth- coming visit to London, namely, the question of British Government approval for the setting up of a representative office in London for the China National Foreign Trade Corporations.

The request for permission for the facility has, I believe, been before the Government for something like a year. It has been discussed at various times with members of the FCO staff and we in the SBTC have been asked on several occasions if we could help to

clear the matter.

Swaglion

2819

I appreciate, of course, that the response from the British. Government may well be dependent upon obtaining additional accommodation for British Embassy staff in Peking or indeed other matters. I know the former is a difficult question for the Chinese Authorities because they are faced with the genuine problem of a serious shortage of accommodation in Peking. Of course in London the position is different as the onus will be on the Chinese Corporations to buy their own living quarters and office space which, I understand, they are ready and willing to do.

I attach a short note on this request, which may be of help to you. Naturally we in the SBTC would like to see the Corporation's wishes met as it would be helpful to the furtherance of our trading interest but I would understand that there may well be other facets to the question of which I would not be aware.

2/.....