TNAG-2241-FCO40-3222-Asia-Pacific-Economic-Cooperation-(APEC)-1991 — Page 57

20 June 1991

Tel:

071-270-2671

RECL

20

1991

**

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

13

London SW1 2AH

Fax: 071-270-3443

GA Duggan Esq SINGAPORE

Jew furlon

I

8TH PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION CONFERENCE (PECC): SINGAPORE, 20-22 MAY

1.

Many thanks for your teleletter of 24 May. I have since seen Giles Paxman's letter of 31 May, enclosing the set of conference documents. We are grateful to you for attending the conference and for the account of how it went.

2.

Goh's keynote address seemed to us thoughtful and

stimulating. He may have asked more questions than he answered but he was certainly right to point up the importance of developments in US-Japan relationship and the need for the countries in the region to come to terms with a resurgent Japan.

3. There is obviously still a bit of uncertainty about PECC's future role. I agree with Giles that it looks as if its most useful function will be to provide some back-up for the other regional groupings such as ASEAN and APEC. We shall see. But I certainly agree with you that we should not underestimate the value or importance of gatherings of this kind.

4. We were glad, incidentally, to note that Hong Kong was there as a full participant.

5. I note what you say about representation at future gatherings. We will do what we can.

R B Bone

Economic Relations Dept

CC:

Chanceries:

35dthjk

Canberra

Ottawa

Mr Cox

пи

Washington Wellington

Hong Kong Mexico City Lima

Santiago Peking

Ms

Major fr 24/6. Mr Fushels) 244/6

Tokyo

Jakarta