TNAG-1551-FCO40-2115-Possible-cultural-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-Japan-1986 — Page 30

GRS 900

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 21120OZ FCO

TELNO 1563

CONFIDENTIAL

HKH 29111

RECEIVER IN REGISTRY

17 JUN 1986

OF 211037Z MAY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO

DESC OFFICER

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

TOP COPY

YOUR TELNO 931: POSSIBLE HONG KONG/JAPAN CULTURAL AGREEMENT

1. THE JAPANESE CONSUL-GENERAL TELEPHONED THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 13 MAY TO SAY THAT HIS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT INITIALLED WITH THE DUTCH (OUR TELNO 1463) REFLECTED JAPANESE INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO SIGN AGREEMENTS GENERALLY UNDER SPECIFIC AUTHORISATION FROM HMG. MATSUURA EXPLAINED THAT THE JAPANESE WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG BEYOND MERELY ECONOMIC SUBJECTS. HE HAD HIMSELF BEEN ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THIS CONCEPT AND SAID THAT THE OBJECTIVES WOULD BE MENTIONED BY THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER WHEN THE GOVERNOR VISITS TOKYO.

2. AT PRESENT, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND THE POLYTECHNIC EACH RECEIVE SOME MONEY FROM JAPAN THROUGH THE (GOVERNMENT-FUNDED) JAPAN FOUNDATION. MAATSURA SAID THAT FUNDS BY THIS ROUTE WERE LIMITED AND WOULD REMAIN SO. THE JAPANESE COULD NOT ENLARGE THEIR EXISTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITHOUT A FORMAL AGREEMENT. SUCH AGREEMENTS EXISTED CURRENTLY WITH A NUMBER OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, NOTABLY ASEAN (THERE IS ALSO A COMPARABLE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA).

3. REVERTING TO THE SUBJECT ON 15 MAY, MATSUURA EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS TALKING NOT OF AN ON-GOING (E.G. 5-10 YEAR) AGREEMENT BUT A SERIES OF SPECIFIC AGREEMENTS WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COVERING A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR SET OF PROJECTS FALLING WITHIN A GIVEN YEAR (THIS LOOKS ATTRACTIVE AS FAR AS THE CHINESE REACTION IS CONCERNED). HE PRODUCED AN EXAMPLE, A RECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA COVERING THE PROVISION OF LANGUAGE

LABORATORY AND AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT TO THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY IN

THE FORM OF A LETTER FROM THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE PNG

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

(COPY SENT TO HUM HKD BY HAND BY MRS. MP.)

4. THE PROJECT MATSUURA HAS IN MIND FOR 1986/87 IN HONG KONG

S ENHANCED SUPPORT FOR THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMME AT HONG

KONG UNIVERSITY. IF THE PRINCIPLE WERE AGREEABLE TO US AND F

THE PROGRAMME GAVE SATISFACTION IN PRACTICE, HE WOULD (WITHOUT

COMMITMENT) HOPE TO REPEAT THIS FOR THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY IN

1987/88. THE MONEY FOR HONG KONG UNIVERSITY WAS EXPECTED TO COME

VERY NEAR THE PERMITTED JAPANESE CEILING OF 50M. YEN. THIS

WOULD, MATSUURA THOUGHT, REPRESENT MORE THAN A 10-FOLD INCREASE IN THE MONEY THAT CAN CURRENTLY BE SUPPLIED FROM THE JAPAN FOUNDATION,

WITH ITS HEAVY OVERHEADS AND MANY CLAIMS ON ITS BUDGET.

CONFIDENTIAL

15

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