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[JA2ALR]
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
NJ French Esq
Counsellor, Hong Kong Affairs
British Embassy
Hong Kong Government Office Avenue Louise 228
1050 Brussels
(4615
JKX2243/2
RECEIVED IN KEGISTRY
12 DEC 1985
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
Telephone 01-
233
41DE9
PA
Action Taxen
Your reference
Our reference
HKK 243/2
Date 12 December 1985
Drew
1.
Nigel.
Thank
you for your letter of 20 November 1985, which we I have since seen
discussed by telephone some days ago. Ken Woodhouse's letter to you dated 28 November, and Tony Miller's
to me dated 27 November.
2.
This correspondence contains communications matters, and one
several "cries from the heart" or two unnecessary confessions of past errors. I may as well add to the list on both counts:
on
(a)
(b)
3.
end
ensure
In the hurry to finalise and despatch a guidance telegram to some 36 destinations outside the UK, we forgot initially about HKGO Brussels (and the other HKG Os bar London). I can only hope that our telegram no. 1504 two days later, asking Washington, New York, Geneva and Brussels to pass copy of our guidance telegram to local Hong Kong Government representatives, did in some measure compensate for
omission.
a
our
While understanding (I think) the unusual relationship that HKG Os inevitably have with their "parent" ( ?) British Embassy, Consulate, or Mission, I am a little surprised that links are not close en ough for chanceries and Hong Kong representatives to stay in closer touch as a matter of routine on matters of obvious Hong Kong Government interest, such as Vietnamese refugees, than they evidently
This may be naive of me,
or unfairly based on experience of my Own contacts with HKGO London (and as Ben Tang will attest, we make mistakes here as well), but there it is.
do.
that
Having got that off my chest, let me say that we at this must plainly try harder too. Obviously HKD must now try to
that communications on all
issues Hong Kong refugee concern any of the EC member (or two prospective member) must also be copied to HKGO Brussels. We will do our best. will also help to remind us if Hong Kong continue to indicate specific telegrams that they have included HKGOS in distribution of that telegram. Lead and we shall
follow.
states
I t
on
the
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