TNAG-1883-FCO40-2674-Visits-by-Lord-Glenarthur--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1989 — Page 7

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The previous lack of a community image was one of the reasons why the British business presence has been under-rated in Hong Kong. The formation of the British Chamber of Commerce was a great step forward and it is in everybody's interest to join. The Chamber is not duplicate Trade Commission: it can consider matters that are outside the remit of the Trade Commission and it can provide services for members beyond the

the scope of support provided by the Trade Commission. We have different roles and though we work closely together, it is important that as many businesses as possible should join the Chamber.

I thought the first edition of the Chamber's bulletin "Britain in Hong Kong", published this month was very good. The bulletin isn't the same as the Trade Commission's "Britain Trades" and the content indicates the difference between the Chamber and the Commission. The bi-lingual "Britain Trades" is strictly for trade promotion and

and it concentrates on new products from Britain and forthcoming trade missions and exhibitions. Incidentally it is now circulated to over 3,000 potential customers for Britain in Hong Kong, the PRC and Taiwan. It produces a good number of responses and partly pays for itself through advertising. Now for a blatant plug: more advertising will help us to improve the coverage and extend the circulation; rate cards are available from Matthew Henderson.

I'd like to go back to myths. You remember the fuss a few months ago when it was reported that the number of British citizens in Hong Kong. had dropped to 9,500. The cartoonists had a field day: Were the missing Brits propping up the bar in the Foreign Correspondents Club or were they asleep in the reading room of the Hong Kong Club? At the time I was quoted as saying I was puzzled by the official figures and that there were a lot more than 9,500 Brits in Hong Kong: more like 20,000. Ι now have it officially from

from the Director of Immigration that the 9500 was an undercount. The figure is always low at the end of June because so many families are away for the school holidays but additionally, on this occasion, there was an omission. Apparently there is a problem unique to British citizens in that it is difficult

identify accurately and quickly at the airport whether they are residents or visitors. Some extra checking is needed to identify a resident and it was not done for the June figures.

It has been done now to produce a new estimate of British citizens resident in Hong Kong at the end of September and the figure is about 15,400. To which must be added the Service personnel so a total of more than 20,000. In fact it's even more than that because a lot of British people who regard themselves as residents but are not here for more than six months at a time have been classified as visitors. I hope that puts the record straight.

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