TNAG-1633-FCO40-2249-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-1988 — Page 7

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INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR,

JARKARTA, BANGKOK, MANILA

INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BAGAWAN. WASHINGTON

PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO LORD GLENARTHUR, LEADER OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION TO THE SPC IN NOUMER

VISIT BY MINISTER OF STATE TO SINGAPORE

SUMMARY

LORD BLENARTHUR VISITED SINGAPORE ON 8/9 OCTOBER.

DURING

A BUSY 24 HOURS HERE HE SAW SOMETHING OF THE CITY AND

HAD A RELAXED AND FRIENDLY EXCHANGE WITH THE SECOND MINISTER

OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. HIS VISIT CONTRIBUTED A HELPFUL DEOMONSTRATION OF OUR CONTINUED COMMITTMENT TO ASEAN IN GENERAL AND SINGAPORE IN PARTICULAR.

DETAIL

2. LORD GLENARTHUR ACCOMPANIED BY FURNESS, HEAD OF SPD, AND REDDAWAY (PS), VISITED SINGAPORE ON 8/9 OCTOBER. DURING HIS VISIT HE CALLED ON SECOND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, WONG KAN SENG, AND WAS GIVEN LUNCH BY THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS YEO CHEOW TONG. HE ALSO SPOKE TO A BREAKFAST MEETING OF THE LOCAL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ON BRITAIN AND THE PACIFIC RIM? * VISITED THE RECENTLY-ESTABLISHED SINGAPORE SUBSIDIARY OF A BRITISH HIGH TECHNOLOGY COMPANY (RODIME, MAKERS OF COMPUTER DISC DRIVES) AND TOURED THIS HIGH COMMISSION.

3. LORD GLENARTHUR LED OFF HIS EXCHANGE WITH WONG BY EMPHASISING BRITAIN'S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO, AND INVOLVEMENT IN, SOUTH EAST ASIA, DEMONSTRATED. IN SINGAPORE'S CASE, BY OUR LARGE LOCAL INVESTMENTS. THE FORTHCOMING VISIT BY

THE PRINCESS ROYAL, FREQUENT MINISTERIAL VISITS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

(INCLUDING WONG'S TO BRITAIN IN AUGUST) AND THE FORTHCOMING OPENING OF THE NEW BRITISH COUNCIL BUILDING. WONG RESPONDED BY EXPRESSING THE HOPE THAT BRITISH INVESTMENT HERE WOULD EXPAND. HE WAS HAPPY TO CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE NO BILATERAL

PROBLEMS BETWEEN US. DRUGS

LORD GLENARTHUR REMINDED WONG OF OUR PROFOUND CONCERN ABOUT THE GROWING INCIDENCE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE WORLD-WIDE. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WAS VITAL AND HE WAS THEREFORE GRATEFUL FOR THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE SINGAPOREAN AUTHORITIES IN MOUNTING A SUCCESSFUL DRUGS OPERATION

LAST FEBRUARY. WE HAD RECENTLY INTRODUCED A BILL TO TRACE, FREEZE AND SEIZE DRUG TRAFFICKERS' ASSETS. HE HOPED THAT SINGAPORE WOULD INTRODUCE SIMILAR LEBISLATION, THUS