TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 199

. Dr D C Wilson

Government Secretariat HONG KONG

Annex E

16

CONFIDENTIAL

301/6

PGF/30

20. 31

31 MAY 107

N

rill 31/51

24 May 1979

PRESS RESEARCH UNIT

1.

I am writing in haste to catch the bag to give you some preliminary comments on the PRU arising from my recent visit to Hong Kong. My main conclusions were:-

2.

a.

b.

c.

d.

that the PRU is doing an efficient job and is, so far as I can judge, extremely cost- effective;

that we should continue to do all we can to keep Mr. James Yi in touch with end-users apart from anything else so as to give him sufficient stimulation to continue with his task;

Mr. Yi may well be in a position to give us insights on practical developments, eg over likely developments in China's bilateral trading arrangements, and this therefore underlines the importance of correspondence eg with Christopher Hum;

if and when the China Trade Section of the BTC is expanded, there could well be very good reasons for trying to co-house the PRU with the rest of the BTC.

I enclose, under flying seal, a somewhat gushing letter to Mr. Yi which, provided you are content, I should be grateful

As you will see it expresses the if you would pass on to him. hope that Tony Lambert will be able to visit the PRU on his way back from Peking. Whether this will come off depends upon the skinflints of PSD.

Copy to: T J B George Esq, Peking

Mr Samuel, FUNFIDENTIAL

J N Allan

Overseas Information Department