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For
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Private Secretary
Puss Brych dr
311
From :
PS/Mr Goodlad
Date :
CC:
HONG KONG: THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
1.
17 December 1992
PS/PUS
Sir J Coles
Mr Crowe
Mr Miles
Mr Hum
Mr Broadbent,
Economic Advisers Mr Davies, Hd/FED Mr Ricketts, нd/HKD Mr Cornish, News Dept Mr Bickham, Special
Adviser
PS/Governor of
Hong Kong (by fax)
As suggested in your minute of 7 December, Mr Goodlad hosted a well-attended drinks party for key representatives of the London-based Hong Kong business community on 16 December. A list of attendees is attached. The occasion went extremely well. It revealed a big disparity between public and private positions.
2. The Minister gave a 'buff-steadying' talk before throwing the floor open for discussion. The subsequent comments suggested a surprisingly united and calm public approach among the businessmen (with Sir Adrian Swire revealing most nervousness). But in private conversation they were more critical, not so much of the Governor's constitutional proposals themselves but of the tactics used to launch them. Lord Cairns suggested that greater democracy would be a safeguard against corruption in business in the longer term. However, the majority were more sceptical and saw the proposals as necessary only in Westminster terms.
3. Several (Sir Adrian, Henry Keswick and Lord Young) said that instructions had gone to their local representatives in Hong Kong to keep mum. A number said they had not yet experienced direct pressure from the Chinese. But their interests in South China might be suffering indirectly (eg.
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