TNAG-2085-FCO40-2970-Allegations-of-ill-treatment-towards-workers-from-the-Philip-1990 — Page 25

RESTRICTED

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

HKB

4 January 1990

381/1

BY

AY 1990

Laut order

REGISTRY

Miss SA Witherden Ministry of Defence First Avenue House Room 208

Elver

40-48 High Holborn

London WC1V 6HE

VDE

CLOSURE OF CLS HONG KONG

Thank you for your letter of 5 December in which you ask for an initial response to the interesting suggestion that the FCO might consider taking over the Chinese Language School in Kowloon. The FCO has a number of options for advanced Chinese language training under consideration but I fear that your proposal is unlikely to figure amongst them.

Our current arrangements, whereby we send students to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are not ideal but they do have considerable merits. They are highly cost-effective and seem to us the best option until there is a realistic chance of setting up a course in the PRC, which remains our long term aim. In these circumstances it would not make sense for the FCO to take on commitments in terms of staff, premises etc, even if your "informal soundings" suggest that the British Trade Commission would be agreeable.

I am sorry if this reply is not as swift as you hoped but I can at least assure you that it is a considered reply rather than merely an initial one.

bcc P W Heap Esq CMG

BTC Hong Kong

Mr Stone, Hong Kong Dept

Mr McCleary, FED

T26AID

T T Macan

Training Department

AC

Hothed. R

RESTRICTED

Să