In confidence
Council funds complement this with work in exchanges, information supply, English language support and the arts. Increased resources in 1989/90 took Council activity outside the Beijing/ Shanghai hinterlands; wider dissemination of British ideas, expertise and influence is a key objective for the 1990s. English language work in China is ODA-funded and concentrates on teacher training in universities. The demand for English amongst senior and middle managers in industry is enormous and the Council has looked seriously at the possibility of establishing a language training institute as a joint venture with a Chinese partner. This is not included in immediate planning proposals, however, in view of the higher priority accorded to Hong Kong.
7.29 As Sino-Taiwanese relations improve, the Council will be exploring opportunities to capitalize on more relaxed political relationships and establish Council programmes in Taiwan. The focus will be on the provision of British educational resources, with the aim of generating Taiwanese spending in the British educational sector.
7.30 Activity in Japan concentrates on science and technology, British studies and language teaching. About 85% of non-teaching activity is in exchanges; FCO SAS will have risen to £0.2 million by 1990. Japan's policy of inter- nationalization offers increasing potential for joint-financed activity which the Council is extensively exploring, especially in the Western Region of Japan which is commercially important and has significant educational and cultural centres. To increase knowledge of Britain in this area, the Council will seek funds to strengthen its operations and base in Kyoto.
7.31 Modest additional funding will be sought to raise the British profile in Mongolia and, through interchange programmes, encourage the pace at which Communism is receding and contact with the West advancing.
7.32 South Korea has been heavily influenced by America but now seeks alternative partners and perspectives, particularly in Europe. In view of the trade potential, it is in British interests to respond; Council programmes actively assist British commercial endeavour through careful targeting. By 1990 ODA funding of higher
education links in Korea will cease. For the
immediate future, the Council will redeploy resources in order to subsidize newly established links that bring self-financing Korean students to Britain, and maintain agreements on joint research for which typically the Korean side will contribute at least 80% of costs.
7.33 Resources will not be deployed to fund the expansion in Indonesia envisaged in CP2, as prospective new government programmes have not come sufficiently to fruition. The Council's major activities will continue to be language teaching, books and information work, education and training. Active development of PES, agency activity and Council-sponsored exchanges will be the main components. Some staff savings will be made in Indonesia to release funds for other priorities.
7.34 Additional recurrent funds will be allocated to implement expansion in Australia and New Zealand, though at a lower level than planned, within limited resources. A total of £0.115 million will enable the Council to meet its objectives for exchanges work. While arts work will not expand on the scale envisaged, sponsorship will be sought to keep arts programmes buoyant. Funds will be found internally to establish a science specialist post, based in Australia but serving both countries, to service this expansion.
7.35 Science and technology exchanges, important to Britain's trade and investment interests in Singapore, will be funded for another year non-recurrently from redeployment to complement English language teaching and collaborative educational development programmes with the government. The focus in Malaysia will be on ODA and FCO scholarship programmes administered by the Council, PES work which shows signs of recovering, and DTE. In both countries, counselling services to promote educational opportunity in Britain are central to country objectives. Funds may be found internally for modest expansion in Thailand to establish a larger Council centre around the DTO in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second city. However, the main objective is to maintain growth in exchanges work and DTE business performance. Although it would be necessary to withdraw some funds from Malaysia (and the Philippines) if contingency financial plans have to be implemented, the real need is for additional funds for co-financed exchanges work in science and technology for Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, to consolidate their partnership with Britain.
7.36 Additional funds will be sought from 1991/92 to establish a presence in Indo-China, where demand for ELT is strong and where there are likely to be considerable PES opportunities once multilateral aid begins to flow.
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