TNAG-1847-FCO40-2622-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 63

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HKB 011/3

TELELETTER ECO 014/1 (A)

OF 240145Z APRIL 89

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Mr Paul

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000772 MDTTAN 7681

Je Mr McLaren

Miss Marsden

Mc Wood

Mc Footman

HOLLOWAY BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION HONG KONG ALAN PAUL, HKG DEPARTMENT FCO

No25%

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN HONG KONG

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THE MEMBERS OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE VISITING HONG KONG DINED WITH ME AND A REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF BRITISH BUSINESSMEN ON 21 APRIL. AT THE COMMITTEE'S REQUEST, DOUG MARTIN OF THE JLG WAS ALSO PRESENT. A GUEST LIST WAS ATTACHED TO THE FAC BRIEFING, A COPY OF WHICH SHOULD HAVE REACHED YOU BY NOW.

2. THE CHAIRMAN, DAVID HOWELL, SAID THE COMMITTEE HAD ENCOUNTERED THE MISPERCEPTION I HAD MENTIONED TO THEM AT MY BRIEFING: THE IDEA THAT BRITAIN'S COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN HONG KONG HAD WANED. HE SAID THEY HAD ARGUED AGAINST THIS AND HAD MADE GOOD USE OF OUR INVESTMENT FIGURES. (MR. HOWELL ALSO EMPHASISED BRITAIN'S LARGE COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN HONG KONG WHEN THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS MET THE PRESS BEFORE LEAVING TODAY FOR PEKING).

3. DURING THE DINNER VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WELCOMED THE FORMATION OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND URGED THAT IT SHOULD DEVELOP A STRONG VOICE. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CHAMBER, ROGER LACEY, SAID THE CHAMBER WAS DOING ITS BEST BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT NOT ALL THE BRITISH COMPANIES IN HONG KONG WANTED TO EMPHASISE THEIR BRITISH CONNECTION. CHARLES MACKAY OF INCHCAPE (A GROUP THAT HAS NO DIFFICULTY IN THIS RESPECT) SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO ACCEPT THAT SOME OF THE LARGE AND POWERFUL COMPANIES WITH BRITISH CONNECTIO- NS WERE FIRST AND FOREMOST AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE HONG KONG ESTABLISHMENT AND THEY REGARDED THEMSELVES AS 'LOCAL. BECAUSE OF THIS, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO SPEAK FOR THE TOTAL BRITISH BUSINESS PRESENCE. I MENTIONED THAT THE PROBLEM OF COMPANIES NOT WANTING TO ADVERTISE THEIR BRITISH CONNECTION HAD AFFECTED RECRUITMENT FOR THE BRITAIN IN HONG KONG EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER. I SAID IT WAS ALL VERY WELL FOR THE BIG BRITISH COMPANIES TO CALL ON THE TRADE COMMISSION (OR THE CHAMBER) TO SPEAK UP FOR BRITISH COMMERCIAL INTERESTS, BUT THEY, TOO, SHOULD BE WILLING

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