10 July 1991
Ms Grace Lui
CONFIDENTIAL
Constitutional Affairs Branch HKCO26/3
Government Secreteriat
HONG KONG
บ
ON DROW
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
FILE
13
London SW1A 2AH
Telephone: 071- 270 2655
Dear Grace,
SPONSORED VISIT TO CHINA BY HKG OFFICIALS (APRIL 1991)
1.
I was very grateful for your letter of 21 May. I have not replied earlier because I have been circulating the report of this visit to colleagues for their comments.
2. Our collective view is that these visits are clearly of great value. The participants have produced full and interesting reports and seem to have learnt a great deal. Furthermore, they were able to educate their hosts about Hong Kong and its relationship with the UK (I was struck by Chapter 23, paragraph 11 of the report: we must continue to feed in the message from all sides that Hong Kong is entirely financially independent from the UK).
3.
Given how useful they are, we wonder whether there might be any scope for increasing either the frequency or the number of participants in these visits. At the current rate, only another 42 officials will be able to benefit from this valuable contact with China by 1997. I realise that there are other visit programmes but there are arguments for this particular one, which gives a broad overview, being made available to as many people as possible.
4. I note the important role played by the "minder" Mr Chang Hsiao-ping. We would endorse your suggestion for a similar Hong Kong minder for the incoming visits from China: I am sure that the right person could considerably enhance the effectiveness of the visit.
5. I look forward to seeing the outcome of the visit by PRC officials to Hong Kong in late June.
Yous
ever
Дамев
P A Major (Ms)
Hong Kong Department
cc: Ms Rogan, Peking
RIDAMI
TG
CONFIDENTIAL
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