TNAG-2024-FCO40-2886-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Commonwealth-countries-1990 — Page 60

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 310130Z HONG KONG

TELNO 1439

OF 30180OZ JULY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

EC

нивого 122

BY

0 1 AUG 1990

CFR

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

18

013231 MDHOAN 3275

TOP COPY Q DIST?

PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR FROM MARSDEN HKD

COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING 1991

AT A LUNCH WITH THE PUS ON 27 JULY, PETER UNWIN, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT, RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF HOLDING NEXT YEAR'S COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING IN HONG KONG.

2. WE UNDERSTAND THAT NEXT YEAR'S ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE IMF/IBRD ARE TO BE HELD IN BANGKOK ON 15-17 OCTOBER 1991, AND THAT THE COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING (WHICH USUALLY TAKES PLACE A FEW DAYS BEFOREHAND) IS THEREFORE LIKELY TO BE HELD IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. THE SUGGESTION HAS BEEN MADE (IT IS NOT CLEAR BY WHOM) THAT HONG KONG MIGHT BE A SUITABLE VENUE FOR THE MEETING AND THAT THIS MIGHT BE A WELCOME SIGN OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

3.

WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THIS. WE NOTE THAT YOU DO NOT PROPOSE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO THIS

YEAR'S COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING BUT DO INTEND

TO BE REPRESENTED AT THE 1991 MEETING, IF IT IS TO BE HELD IN ASIA. WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS LAST MET IN HONG KONG IN 1976. AS YOU KNOW, THE COMMONWEALTH PRESS UNION IS PLANNING TO HOLD ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR.

4. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER YOU WOULD ANTICIPATE ANY CHINESE SENSITIVITIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING WE UNDERSTAND THAT CHIEF ANYAOKU HAS EXPRESSED SOME NERVOUSNESS THAT THE CHOICE OF HONG KONG

AS A VENUE MIGHT BE OPPOSED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH (EG. PAKISTAN) GIVEN THE OPPOSITION EXPRESSED AT KUALA LUMPUR OVER THE DRAFT COMMUNIQUE PASSAGE ON HONG KONG.

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