TNAG-1482-FCO40-2036-Economic-and-commercial-value-of-Hong-Kong-to-the-UK-1986 — Page 94

LETTER TO :

MARTIN BRANDO BRAVO ESQ, MP

HOUSE OF COMMONS, SW1

FROM: SECRETARY OF STATE

Thank you for your letter of 17 April about the wish of Mr Coppel,

Managing Director of Singer and Friedlander, to meet me to discuss his

plans to get wealthy Hong Kong Chinese businessmen to invest in Britain.

I note the aim of the meeting would be for Mr Coppel to first satisfy

himself about the ground rules before proceeding further and that you have

already been in touch on his behalf with David Waddington of the Home

Office about immigration matters and with Kenneth Clarke of the Department

of Employment about work permits.

As far as inward investment is concerned, which is the particular aspect

which falls within my Department's reponsibilities, the Government's

policy is to encourage inward investment which is of overall benefit to

the economy. With regard to Hong Kong, the Government is, however,

conscious of the sensitivity of the Chinese Government to the movement of

industry from Hong Kong overseas to the UK and elsewhere prior to the

reversion of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Our policy is therefore not to

take any steps to actively attract such industry which could harm