RESTRICTED
(40
067124
MDHIAN 4526
RESTRICTED
FM SINGAPORE
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 044
OF 31060OZ JANAURY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE MODUK
FCO FOR SEAD
MODUK FOR DESO
нко 34011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
MIPT: YOUR TELNO 30: SINGAPORE: VISIT OF MICHAEL MORRIS MP
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 22 JANUARY.
2. IT WAS GOOD OF YOU TO LET ME HAVE A REPORT ON YOUR CALL ON BRIGADIER GENERAL LEE HSIEN LOONG. AS YOU KNOW, BG LEE IS A KEY FIGURE IN THE ''SECOND GENERATION'' TEAM WHICH IS NOW IN CHARGE OF THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF GOVERNMENT IN SINGAPORE. WE ARE KEEN TO ESTABLISH THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE CONTACT WITH HIM AND HAVE FOR SOME TIME BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE HIM TO PAY AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE UK. FOLLOWING YOUR CALL, WE NOW HAVE A TENTATIVE DATE AND WE SHALL CERTAINLY FOLLOW THIS UP IN SINGAPORE.
3. AS REGARDS THE OTHER POINTS IN YOUR LETTER, THE GLAXO INVESTMENT IS CERTAINLY A FINE EXAMPLE OF A FAR-SIGHTED BRITISH COMPANY INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION IN THE WAY THAT MANY JAPANESE COMPANIES ARE NOW DOING. BUT WE NEED MANY MORE OF THEM AND I THEREFORE HOPE THAT BG LEE'S HINTS THAT SEVERAL MORE BRITISH CHEMICAL COMPANIES MAY ESTABLISH THEMSELVES HERE IN FACT BEAR FRUIT. AGAIN, WE SHALL FOLLOW THIS UP IN SINGAPORE.
4. THE SINGAPOREANS CLAIM THAT THEIR EFFORTS TO ATTRACT PROFESSIONALS AND BLUE COLLAR WORKERS FROM HONG KONG ARE PAYING OFF AND THAT THE 50 PER CENT TAKE UP RATE IS NO LESS THAT THEY HAD HOPED FOR AT THIS STAGE. THE FACT REMAINS, HOWEVER, THAT MOST POTENTIAL EMIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG CONTINUE TO SEE CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES AS THEIR PREFERRED DESTINATIONS.
5. BG LEE'S INTEREST IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT IN THE UK IS REFLECTED IN AN ARTICLE HE CONTRIBUTED TO THE JANUARY EDITION OF PETIR, THE PUBLICATION OF THE PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY, ENTITLED ''NEED FOR RELIGIOUS RESTRAINT''. HE SAID THEN THAT ''EVEN IN BRITAIN, WHERE THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IS THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH, THERE HAS BEEN FOR CENTURIES A DEBATE
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