the
4. THERE WAS ALSO SOME HEATED DISCUSSION OF POLITICAL ISSUES PARTICULARLY OVER DINNER. SIR PETER EMERY REMAINS CONVINCED THAT WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE RAISED THE LEASE ISSUE WITH THE CHINESE AND JUST ALLOWED THE SITUATION TO EVOLVE'. THE BEST EFFORTS OF ROBIN MCLAREN AND MYSELF WERE OF NO AVAIL IN THIS RESPECT. ANOTHER MORE CONVENTIONAL THEME WHICH INEVITABLY SURFACED WAS IAN MIKARDO PROTESTING ABOUT THE LACK OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. WE SAT HIM OPPOSIT MR STANLEY HO, THE ARCH-CAPITALIST AND MULTI MILLIONAIRE WHO RUNS THE MACAU HYDROFOIL SERVICE AND OWNS THE GAMBLING FRANCHISE THERE. STANLEY HO PUT IN A POWERFUL DEFENCE FOR THE PRESENT SYSTEM AND IAN MIKARDO CONFIDED TO ME AFTERWARDS THAT HE HAD LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THAT CONVERSATION.
5. I THINK THAT THE VISIT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO HONG KONG CAN FAIRLY BE DESCRIBED AS A SUCCESS. THEY WERE PARTICULARLY WARM ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS THEY HAD OVER DINNER ON MONDAY AND WITH BILL DORWARD ON TUESDAY. THERE WAS SOME BGRUMBLING ABOUT THE FACTORY VISITS LAID ON BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (AGREEMENT TO WHICH HAD BEEN REACHED IN EARLIER DISVUSSION BETWEEN SIR DONALD KABERRY AND SIR JACK CATER IN LONDON) AND ABOUT THE MTR/KCR/FIRE FIGHTING VISITS. I THINK HOWEVER THAT MOST AT LEAST ENJOYED THE LATTER ALTHOUGH I WAS SURPRISED THAT MORE MEMBERS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE DID NOT SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BRITISH COMPANIES CONCERNED.
6. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT ONE ISSUE WHICH AROSE TOWARDS THE END OF THE VISIT WAS PRESS EXPOSURE. SELECT COMMITTEES PREFER NOT TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCES BUT THERE WAS SOME FEELING IN HONG KONG THAT FOR 9 MPS TO PASS THROUGH THE TERRITORY AT THIS CRITICAL TIME WITHOUT MEETING THE PRESS WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE. IN THE EVENT SIR DONALD KABERRY GAVE A SUITABLY AVUNCULAR RADIO INTERVIEW ON HIS RETURN THROUGH HONG KONG: THIS WILL, I HIPE, HAVE SMOOTHED ANY RUFFLED FEATHERS.
7. ON THE NEXT OCCASION THE SELCT COMMITTEE COME HERE I
THINK THAT WE SHOULD WEIGHT THE PROGRAMME IN THE DIRECTION OF MORE DISCUSSION WITH HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS AND BUSINESSMEN IN A SEMINAR ATMOSPHERE AND AWAY FROM VISITS TO FACTORIES. MEANWHILE
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEIR OFFICIAL REPORT.
8. LETTER VERSION OF THIS TELELETTER WITH PROGRAMME ATTACHED WILL REACH DICK CLIFT IN HKGD BY BAG.
SIGNED CHRISTIAN ADAMS
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