TNAG-1027-FCO40-1277-Visits-by-officials-from-the-UK-(other-than-FCO)-to-Hong-Kon-1981 — Page 8

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01- 233 5333

Entr

220/5

D A McLeod Esq

SINGAPORE

Dear Donald,

HICK 02613

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

2 Q MAY 1981

-DESK-OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY Action Taker

PA

201

I

AW 5

No Mas

VISIT BY LORD JUSTICE DONALDSON

Your reference

Our reference FA 353/1

Date 19 May 1981

1. Lord Justice Donaldson has accepted an invitation to attend and deliver a paper at the International Arbitration Conference in Hong Kong in October. He proposes to combine this with visits to Bangkok and Singapore. He will be leaving London on 1 October and will visit Bangkok

On his on 3 and 4 October before going on to Hong Kong. return he will attend the Arbitration Seminar in Singapore on 14 October. He has asked if there are any special points we would like to bring to his attention or to let him know of any way in which his visits might be made useful for the purpose of UK trade in the countries involved and whether there are any personalities there whom he ought particularly to try to meet to talk about such matters.

2.

We have consulted Janet Mole in CRE 2/2 who can think of no specific trade matters. However, she has two general points regarding Singapore which Lord Donaldson could usefully pursue. Firstly, Singapore's interest in developing the loan syndication business. The Singapore administration has been keen to develop this lucrative business (traditionally done in Hong Kong) but the Republic has always lagged behind. However, most of the funds for loan syndications have been booked in Singapore and you will know that Singapore last year began actively courting foreign law firms with offshore financing expertise despite protests from local lawyers who contend that they have the requisite know-how. Two British law firms, Freshfields and Graham Turner, have already set up shop and a number of other British and American firms are expected to follow. contacts on this would be Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee and Finance Minister Hon Sui Sen.

Possible

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/3.

Secondly,

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