TNAG-2193-FCO40-3130-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-1990 — Page 156

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 83

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CONFIDENTIAL

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198

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

YOUR TELNO 36: VISIT OF MR LLOYD AND THE NA24 MAY 1990PACKAGE

SUMMARY

INDEX

DESKROHEJ GEOR

PA

REGISTRY Action TakeA

тракі

1. THE PASSPORT PACKAGE COULD STILL TAKE GREATER ACCOUNT OF BRITISH COMMERCIAL AND OTHER INTERESTS.

!

DETAIL

2. I HAD A USEFUL MEETING WITH MR LLOYD DURING HIS VISIT AND GAVE A SMALL LUNCH FOR SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY COULD PUT THEIR VIEWS, ATTENDED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF SWIRES HONG KONG (GLEDHILL), THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF JARDINE MATHESON HOLDINGS (RICH), CHIEF MANAGER OF NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK (HK) (LACEY) WHO ALSO REPRESENTED THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE CHAIRMAN AND GENERAL MANAGER OF BRITISH- AMERICAN TOBACCO (HK) LTD (AITKEN) AND THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RICHARD ELLIS LTD (PALMER). IT WAS DISAPPOINTING THAT LANGDON, DUS HOME OFFICE, DID NOT ACCOMPANY THE MINISTER FOR THE CALL AT MY OFFICE STAYING INSTEAD WITH THE HONG KONG IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

3. I TOLD THE MINISTER THAT I WAS STILL CONCERNED THAT BRITISH INTERESTS, COMMERCIAL AND OTHERS, SEEMED TO BE GETTING LESS AND LESS ATTENTION AS THE SCHEME UNFOLDED. IF THE ''UK SECONDMENT SCHEME IS TO BE DROPPED THEN THAT WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS SINCE IT WAS THE ONLY WAY BY WHICH COMPANIES COULD HAVE NOMINATED THEIR OWN CANDIDATES. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE GIVEN AN EDGE TO BRITISH FIRMS SINCE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PLACED TO ROTATE STAFF THROUGH THEIR UK OPERATIONS. ALL THOSE PRESENT AT MY LUNCH FOR MR LLOYD SPOKE STRONGLY IN ITS FAVOUR. THEY OF COURSE

DID NOT KNOW THAT IT IS TO BE DROPPED ALTHOUGH MR LLOYD HINTED THAT ITS FUTURE WAS UNCERTAIN. THE BRITISH CHAMBER, IN A LETTER GIVEN TO MR LLOYD ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE, ALSO EXPRESSED VERY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE SCHEME. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN LORD SHARP'S RECENT LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON A SIMILAR THEME ON BEHALF OF CABLE AND WIRELESS, ONE OF BRITAIN'S BIGGEST COMMERCIAL INTERESTS HERE. THEY ARE ALL CONCERNED THAT UNDER THE GENERAL SCHEME STAFF

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CONFIDENTIAL