TNAG-2047-FCO40-2917-Visits-by-staff-of-the-Department-of-Trade-and-Industry-to-H-1990 — Page 99

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TELNO OTTER 199

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INFO ROUTINE FCO, HONG KONG

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YOUR TELNO OTTER 210: VISIT BY MINISTER FOR TRADE: SPEECH TO

BULLDOGS LUNCH

1.

THE PROPOSED THEME FOR THE MINISTER'S SPEECH I AM SURE

WILL SUIT VERY WELL. THE OCCASION WILL BE HOSTED JOINTLY BY THE

BULLDOGS AND BY THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT THE HONG KONG CLUB. THE SPEECH MIGHT BE FOR ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES. THE AUDIENCE WILL PROBABLY NUMBER ABOUT 100.

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2.

THE POINTS TO MAKE ON OUR TRADE WITH HONG KONG ARE ALL

FAIRLY OBVIOUS AND I FEAR I HAVE NO VERY ORIGINAL THOUGHTS TO

CONTRIBUTE. THE MINISTER WOULD NO DOUBT WISH TO STRESS THE SIZE

AND IMPORTANCE OF THIS MARKET TO US AND COULD DRAW ATTENTION TO OUR SUCCESSES PARTICULARLY E.G. IN THE FIELD OF POWER GENERATION, BOTH ELECTRICITY AND GAS AND IN TRANSPORT (BUSES, TRAINS AND CATHAY PACIFIC), TOGETHER WITH THE NUMBER OF TRADE MISSIONS AND EXHIBITORS, THE NUMBER OF BRITISH FIRMS HERE ETC. HE COULD ALSO HOWEVER DRAW ATTENTION TO OUR SMALL MARKET SHARE WHICH I SEE HAS FALLEN AGAIN, (IT IS NOW 2.2 PER CENT), AND TO URGE THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOTE THE VERY FAVOURABLE TRADE BALANCE IN ITS OWN FAVOUR AND LOOK FAVOURABLY ON THE EFFORTS OF BRITISH EXPORTERS. HE WILL DOUBTLESS WISH TO REFER TO BRITAIN'S COMMITMENT TO THE

AIRPORT PROJECT AND OTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG

KONG'S FUTURE. HE MAY WISH ALSO TO TOUCH ON WIDER TRADE ISSUES

E.G. EUROPE AND 1992 OR EASTERN EUROPE OR GATT OR EFFECTS ON TRADE OF THE GULF CRISIS.

3.

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IN ADDITION, I IMAGINE THE CHAMBER MEMBERS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF NO REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE NATIONALITY ISSUE AND PARTICULARLY THE CHAMBER'S CONCERN, EXPRESSED IN VARIOUS LETTERS TO HOME OFFICER MINISTERS, THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WILL NO DO ENOUGH TO HELP BRITISH COMPANIES. WHETHER OR NOT THE MINISTER DECIDES TO COVER THIS IN HIS SPEECH, IT MUST BE VERY LIKELY THAT IT WILL BE RAISED BY MEMBERS EITHER IN QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS (THERE IS USUALLY A SHORT QUESTION PERIOD AT THE END OF SPEECHES)

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