RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO TELELETTER F CO
TELELETTER FILE REFERENCE NFR
OF 170214Z AUGUST 90
AND TO TELELETTER BRITISH COUNCIL
FROM
Hobli
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
3
073071
MDTTAN 6417
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Nion Taken
: JE
E HOARE, BRITISH EMBASSY, PEKING
FILE REFERENCE
:
NFR DATED 17 AUGUST 1990
FOLLOWING FOR
:
COPIED TO
H L L DAVIES ESQ, FED, F CO CRD, F CO
PROTOCOL DEPT, F C O
DR G HOWELL, A P A D, BRITISH COUNCIL
77
BRITISH COUNCIL POST IN SOUTH CHINA.
1. THE BRITISH COUNCIL, WHICH AS YOU KNOW IS THE CULTURAL SECTION OF THE EMBASSY IN CHINA, WOULD LIKE TO SOUND OUT THE MFA ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING THEIR PRESENT SOUTH CHINA REGIONAL OFFICER BASED IN HONG KONG TO CANTON.
2. YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT THE EMBASSY HAS FOR SOME TIME FAVOURED THE SETTING UP OF A POST PRIMARILY FOR COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL PURPOSES IN SOUTH CHINA, AND THIS HAS APPEARED IN OUR LIST OF OBJECTIVES FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. SOUTH CHINA IS THE MOST ECONOMICALLY ADVANCED AND DYNAMIC PART OF THE COUNTRY WITH THE BEST-ESTABLISHED TRADITION OF LINKS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD. IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE CHINA TRADE UNIT WAS ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG IN 1979 AND WHY THE BRITISH COUNCIL OPENED THE SOUTH CHINA REGIONAL OFFICE LAST YEAR. THE COUNCIL HAVE ALWAYS SEEN THEIR HONG KONG-BASED OFFICE AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE AND THEIR PUBLISHED CORPORATE PLAN ENVISAGES THE TRANSFER OF THE POST TO CANTON NO LATER THAN 1 APRIL 1992. THE BRITISH COUNCIL'S BRIEF FOR MR MAUDE INCLUDED A SECTION TO THIS EFFECT IN THE HOPE THAT THE MINISTER WOULD BE ABLE TO RAISE IT WITH THE CHINESE. IN THE EVENT, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO, BUT THE COUNCIL BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOW A CHANCE THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO SUCH A PROPOSAL. THERE WAS CERTAINLY MUCH ENTHUSIASM IN THE CANTON AREA WHEN THE CULTURAL COUNSELLOR RAISED THE MATTER DURING A RECENT ROUND OF FAREWELL CALLS. THE FORTHCOMING TALKS ON THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE PLAN WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS.
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