Dr Wilson
Res Pre file
Junt Liaise
mité
papas
Group
HUCK 040/59 If keer
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FROM:
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Taken
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FROM: AC GALSWORTHY, HKD
DATE: 17 December
10
1984
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1. Mr White's report is a businesslike one. I agree with most of his conclusions and recommendations. I doubt whether we shall need
I would ? four senior Chinese speakers for the Joint Liaison Group.
think three a maximum.
2.
On some points of detail in Mr White's report, I question whether he is right in paragraph 2 to say that SOAS students can converse fairly fluently on simple subjects after one year's training. In my experience they cannot say very much, and certainly nothing which would enable them to make any serious use of the language. I also question the last sentence of his paragraph 2. have never seen anyone in a job in Peking with a higher language
skill than was strictly necessary for the job. I have seen many with a lower language skill than was necessary. As a result jobs.
we re not done as well as they should be.
I
3. I have some doubt about recommendation 10.2 as far as Hong Kong Department is concerned. The sort of job for which a Research Department officer is best suited is more likely to be found either
in FED or in Peking.
4. I do not entirely agree which paragraph 10.5. It is certainly true that the Head of FED and the Assistant need not both be Chinese speakers. One should be a Chinese speaker but the other might well be a Japanese speaker. However I do think that two Chinese speakers are necessary in present circumstances in Hong Kong Department. There is no other language which is useful to the work of
the Department.
5. The courses specified in recommendation 10.6 would not be useful for our purposes. I have seen the product of the British Airways course: they scarecly have two words to rub together. Such
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