TNAG-2047-FCO40-2917-Visits-by-staff-of-the-Department-of-Trade-and-Industry-to-H-1990 — Page 172

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CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Stone

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Hong Kong Department

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DATE:

27 June 1990

Mr, Molar

McLaren

CC:

Mr Burns

24-26

·September

VISIT OF LORD TREFGARNE TO HONG KONG: OCTOBER /1990

1.

The Department of Trade and Industry have sought our views about one aspect of this forthcoming visit. They would like to know whether we agree if it would be more appropriate for Lord Trefgarne to stay with the Senior British Trade Commissioner, rather than the Governor.

2.

Their reasoning is as follows:

(a) If the Minister were to stay with the Governor, there is a risk that, given his strong advocacy of British commercial interests, he would go too far in pressing the Governor to favour British companies in major projects such as the airport. They apparently fear that this would antagonise the Governor and could lead to a personal clash between the two men. (Lord Trefgarne has strong views about the desirability of the Governor of Hong Kong "batting for Britain".)

(b) It would in any case be more appropriate for Peter Heap, as Senior British Trade Commissioner, with responsibility for promoting British commercial interests in Hong Kong, to act as host. They see this as one way in which we could boost his status in Hong Kong.

3. My own view is that we should advise that, notwithstanding the arguments (a) and (b) above, Lord Trefgarne should stay with the Governor, in line with normal practice over Ministerial visits. I frankly find the DTI's first (and for them, primary, argument) very unconvincing. We surely cannot allow policy in these matters to be dictated by considerations of personal chemistry. Lord Trefgarne should be appropriately briefed; and the Governor should be appropriately forewarned. That should avoid any question of a personality clash. I have a little more sympathy with the second argument, but I do not consider that it is sufficiently strong to make us change our general policy.

4.

If, for the sake of argument, we were to advise that Lord Trefgarne should stay with Mr Heap, what would our

LOPADV

CONFIDENTIAL