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optimistic /
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Mo Woody 21/0
Mr
W 10/2 Jannon 22/2
Enter
Private Secretary
+ps.
ANNUAL REVIEW FOR CHINA 1988
1.
From: PS/Lord Glenarthur
Date: 15 February 1989
Cc:
PS/Mr Eggar
(with papers) PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr McLaren
Mr Millington, FED
Mr Paul, HKD
Research Dept
22
Lord Glenarthur commends for the Secretary of State's attention Mr Millington's helpful minute of 10 February and Sir Alan Donald's thoughtful and generally encouraging despatch, which might be given the sub-title of China Through The Economic Looking Glass. He hopes that the despatch and the useful minuting it has generated will be widely read, including, for the trade aspects, in the DTI. I am also copying the papers to PS/Mr Eggar, who will be gratified in particular by the major achievement illustrated by the figures on Chinese students studying in the UK (Paragraph 9 of the despatch).
2.
Lord Glenarthur thinks that the despatch demonstrates that the effort which we have been putting into our bilateral relations with China is yielding dividends; Hong Kong is an important case in point. But the trade side is a worry: we really should be doing better in this market. Lord Glenarthur wonders whether much study has been done into what it is the FRG and Italy are doing better? Is it a difference of marketing style or of the market sectors which are targetted? Lord Glenarthur thinks we should certainly be doing all in the Government's power to generate more trade; this would include breaking down the problems posed by COCOM restrictions and by visa difficulties, on which Lord Glenarthur would welcome further advice. Even after all this has been done, however, there will still inevitably be a substantial gap which the companies themselves will have to bridge.
15 February 1989
Robert Gut
Robert Court
PS/Lord Glenarthur
CONFIDENTIAL
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