TNAG-1252-FCO40-1585-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 161

-KUALA LUMPUR TL 990

TO FCO

GRS 830

хи

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

My commissioning minute of 23/2

is relevant!

FROM WILLIAM BENTLEY, KUALA LUMPUR

026/1

25 FEBRUARY 1983

FOLLOWING FOR K F X BURNS ESQ, SEAD, FCO

DR MAHATHIR'S VISIT.

Plise ce

to

Mr McQuade likSD

Mr Hull CRDI

& Mr Stone

1. Can we volunteer thoughts on

Hong Kong

2. Can we brouch student

fees in the way, suggested by Mr Bonding?

ERD

Meista

SEAD

3. Cam ERD Wise pravde, additionally to I "'request in my thinule, some briefing

On

prospects for

1. I DOUBT IF YOU NEED MUCH FURTHER MATERIAL FROM ME FOR BRIEFING word reccony

THE PRIME MINISTER BUT I HAVE ONE OR TWO RANDOM THOUGHTS THAT MAY

BE OF HELP.

P.W

233-3470

2. I THINK DR MAHATHIR WOULD BE PLEASED AND FLATTERED WERE THE PRIME MINISTER TO LEAD WITH WORLD AFFAIRS. IT WOULD BE STRANGE NOT TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE NAM MEETING BUT THERE WOULD BE LITTLE PROFIT IN DWELLING ON THIS AS HIS PERFORMANCE THERE IS HARDLY LIKELY TO COMMEND ITSELF TO US. SAFE GROUND IS KAMPUCHEA, AFGHANISTAN AND THE COMMUNIST, PARTICULARLY SOVIET THREAT. HE WOULD BE INTERESTED BY ANYTHING THE PRIME MINISTER MIGHT BE PREPARED TO SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG: AS YOU KNOW THE MALAYSIANS HAVE BEEN BADLY BURNED OVER CARRIAN, WHICH HAD BORROWED A LOT OF MONEY FROM BANK BUMIPUTRA'S HONG KONG SUBSIDIARY, AND THIS IS BEING USED AGAINST RAZALEIGH AT THE MOMENT BY THE MUSA CAMP.

11x

3. HE WILL ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THE WORLD ECONOMIC SITUATION AND PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERY. IF THE PRIME MINISTER WERE DISPOSED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT RECENT POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITAIN HE WOULD LISTEN ATTENTIVELY AND MIGHT HAVE SOME OF HIS MORE OUTLANDISH IDEAS MODIFIED. HE STILL THINKS OF BRITAIN AS PLAGUED BY INNUMERABLE LABOUR DISPUTES AND GENERALLY INEFFICIENT: SOMETHING ABOUT THE IMPROVED STRIKE RECORD AND INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY WOULD STRIKE A

GOOD NOTE.

4. HE MAY WELL WANT TO HAVE HIS SAY ON COMMODITY PRICES AND THOUGH WE HAVE HEARD LITTLE RECENTLY ABOUT THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE WE CANNOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF HIS BRINGING UP WHAT HE SEES AS INEQUITIES IN THE PRESENT SET UP. SIMILARLY HE MAY MENTION THE STOCK EXCHANGE RULES AND IN THAT CASE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WORTH

100A