CONFIDENTIAL
1
JB.
073666
MDHOAN 3307
HKD 021/7 pa. Int. Support: Singges
2 5 NOV 1991
24/10
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE
TELNO 346
OF 230815Z OCT 91
INFO ROUTINE ASEAN POSTS, PEKING
CEF
OL
FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE: 21 OCTOBER
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE MET MR GOH CHOK TONG IN THE MARGINS OF CHOGM.
SINGAPORE INTERNAL
2.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT HE HAD INTENDED TO CONGRATULATE MR GOH ON THE ELECTION RESULTS UNTIL HE READ THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH ITS 61 PER CENT OF THE VOTE. MR GOH CONFIRMED THIS. THE OPPOSITION HAD CLEVERLY CREATED A BY-ELECTION EFFECT BY NOT TRYING TO REPRESENT ITSELF AS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENT. EFFECT THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY HAD GIVEN MR GOH A MANDATE TO GOVERN AND, IN RETURN, THEY WANTED A MANDATE TO BE THE OPPOSITION.
IN
3. MR GOH SAID THAT THE ECONOMY OF SINGAPORE WAS STILL THRIVING ALTHOUGH GROWTH HAD FALLEN TO 7 PER CENT THIS YEAR IN COMPARISON WITH 8 OR 9 PER CENT LAST YEAR. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT UK TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN SINGAPORE CONTINUED
- OT TO RISE BUT HE NOTED THAT MR GOH HAD SAID THAT BRITISH
TAMT COMPANIES WERE NOT MAKING THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITIES. HE HOPED THAT THIS WAS IN THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDLY ENCOURAGEMENT. MR GOH CONFIRMED THIS. THE KEY POINT WAS THAT BRITISH COMPANIES HAD TO COME AND VISIT THE REGION. APART FROM SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA WERE THRIVING, AND VIETNAM MIGHT TAKE OFF. BRITISH COMPANIES COULD USE SINGAPORE AS A BASE. THERE WAS STILL GREAT AFFECTION FOR BRITAIN IN THE REGION: WE SHOULD NOT LEAVE IT TO THE US AND JAPAN. THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG. REGIONAL ISSUES
4.
BRITAIN HAD
SHY
MR GOH SAID THAT SINGAPORE HAD NO IMMEDIATE REGIONAL ANXIETIES. BUT IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS, HE FORESAW -THREE MAIN CONCERNS:
**
i CAMBODIA WAS ON THE WAY TO SOLUTION. THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO, THE CAMBODIAN PARTIES WOULD
32 BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. IN ANY EVENT, THIS WOULD BE AN
1
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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