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reorganisation of their television network if the inevitable foreign exchange problem can be solved: we already have a tremendous success with an "English by Televison" series There is plenty of scope for others to supplement the efforts of the British Council, whose busy operation I visited.
6. Overall, I wonder whether we are handling our relationship as imaginatively and systematically as we might. I suspect that we may not ourselves have the resources to exploit all the opportunities. But I see advantage in doing more to encourage (almost cost-free) the non-Government sector; in more regular official exchanges on non-Hong Kong issues; and in getting the Embassy to identify a number of key provinces which we could target more intensively. Of particular interest might be Szechuan, which I visited. It has a population of 100 million people and a dynamic new Governor who is on the way up in Peking. He has already visited Britain and seems well disposed. I am sure that it will be worth Chris Patten, who has met him, making a point of maintaining their link when he visits China in the autumn.
7.
I should add that although the general atmosphere may now be easier, Peking remains a fairly grim place for expatriates. Housing and recreational facilities have not improved at the same pace that the numbers of expatriates have increased. Despite the Post's and OED's valiant efforts to make the best of a difficult situation, our staff housing is pretty poor and cramped. And the distance from Britain is a problem when contact with the local community is so limited. Alan Donald is obviously tackling his new job with energy. I am taking up a number of points with OED that might make his task easier.
8.
Hong Kong presented the usual curious imbalance between economic confidence (the factory I visited on a new industrial estate could hardly have provided a greater contrast to the out-dated and over-manned enterprises I had seen in China) and political uncertainty. Your own visit was still very fresh in people's minds and most of the points raised with me were those that you had covered. My joust with the press was correspondingly easier!
9. I would like to make four points as a result of my visit to the territory.
(a) The Vietnamese boat people are still the issue of the day. The camps are being run efficiently and humanely, and we have now had an encouraging offer of talks from the Vietnamese. I am certain that we will not convince either
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/Hong Kong
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