RESTRICTED
FAC lik
HKB 011/3
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY DTI
TELNO OTTER 76
OF 19063OZ APRIL 89
INFO PRIORITY FCO
FAC ENQUIRY IN HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
Api COPY
5/4.
as
shown & pa.
r Mr Ward Krz+fir Miss that
ic M Savage, OED
to see x1
CE
24/4.
302
165002
MDLIAN 4086
Mr Forman N
واس
19/4
24/4
1. I UNDERSTAND FROM FCO THAT DTI HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN MEMORANDUM ON THE PROMOTION OF BRITISH COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN HONG KONG.
2. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE TEXT OF THE BACKGROUND NOTE THAT I GAVE THE COMMITTEE ON 18 PARIL (MY TELNO 178 TO FCO). THE TEXT GIVEN IN THE TELEGRAM WAS AMENDED SLIGHTLY IN PARA 7 SO THAT THE THIRD SENTENCE READ ''WHILE CHINA HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT SOURCE OF IMPORTS AND A MANUFACTURING BASE FOR HONG KONG COMPANIES, ALMOST ALL THE OTHER MAJOR SUPPLIERS HAVE LOST MARKET SHARE, BRITAIN AT A SLIGHTLY STEEPER RATE THAN MOST (1986 3.4 PER CENT, 1987 3.1. PER CENT, 1988 2.6 PER CENT).'' I ALSO GAVE THE COMMITTEE A COPY OF MY SPEECH TO BULLDOGS ON 20 DECEMBER AND A COPY OF THE INVESTMENT REVIEW. YOU HAVE COPIES. IN ADDITION I GAVE THEM OUR LATEST NOTE ON WHICH I DRAW TO BRIEF TRADE MISSIONS. A COPY OF THIS IS BEING FAXED TO TRACY.
3. THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE COMMITTEE DURING OUR INFORMAL MEETING WERE MAINLY ABOUT THE DETAIL OF TRADE, OPPORTUNITIES, THE INVOLVEMENT OF BRITISH COMPANIES AND ABOUT OUR WORK. THEY ASKED IF WE WERE WELL-ENOUGH EQUIPPED AND HAD ENOUGH PEOPLE TO SUPPORT BRITISH COMPANIES PURSUING OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG, MACAO, THE PEARL RIVER AND SOUTHERN CHINA (YES): WHETHER WE HAD AS MANY PEOPLE AS THE US CONSULATE GENERAL (I THOUGH THAT ALTHOUGH THE US CONSULATE GENERAL WAS VERY LARGE, WE HAD MORE PEOPLE CONCENTRATING ON COMMERCIAL WORK): HOW WELL PLANS WERE PROGRESSING FOR THE NEW CONSULATE GENERAL (I SAID A NUMBER OF SITES HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AND THAT PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS WERE BEING APPOINTED TO HELP DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE DONE).
4
I HAD PREPARED FOR MY OWN USE SOME QUESTIONS AND POSSOBLE ANSWERS ABOUT ACCOMMODATION: THE EFFECT OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION ON BRITISH BUSINESS: AND ABOUT INWARD INVESTMENT AND PASSPORTS. ONLY ONE OF THESE SUBJECTS WAS RAISED (ACCOMMODATION) BUT YOU MAY CARE TO
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