TNAG-1310-FCO40-1667-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 166

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

CONFIDENTIAL

* OUR Ref.:

(39) in SCR 3/1162/82 II

* YOUR Ref.:

Dr D C Wilson AUSS

FCO

Д.

(319)

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

tikkogolf

RECEIVED IN REGISZ

- 2 MAY 1984

INDEX

Mr. Williams HK

Pl. attach pp & any additimal

-

HONG KONG

18 AT 1984

¡Action

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معالم تعلم

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7

comments for Dr. Dilom talk aga= D215 v2 Chalfor 12

Dear David,

HONG KONG TRADE FAIR: CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF

HONG KONG AS A TRADING CENTRE

259) 1.

Thank you for your letter of 29 March about the conference to be held in the margins of this year's Hong Kong Trade Fair.

2.

The Governor and the Chief Secretary have been consulted. We agree with the view expressed in para 5 of your letter i.e. that it would be a mistake to try to prevent the proposed conference from taking place.

3.

Се

ঠ

Judging by past experience, the organisers will try to associate the Hong Kong Government with the conference in some way, for example by inviting senior Government officials to speak or to participate in panel discussions. We will not need to decide how to respond until much nearer the time. However, for the kind of reasons given in para 3 of your letter, it seems unlikely that we will wish to be involved.

4.

It may be worth adding that we have been consciously distancing ourselves from the Hong Kong Trade Fair. This is partly because the organisers have sought to give the impression that it is the Hong Kong trade fair, fully backed by the Hong Kong Government, whereas it is in fact run by a commercial concern (The Hong Kong Trade Fair Limited) on a profit-making basis. We were also not best pleased when, in arranging to hold future fairs in the China Resources "Hong Kong Exhibition Centre", Hong Kong Trade Fairs Limited accepted conditions which would

its

CONFIDENTIAL

/exclude

C

See 462

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