TNAG-2483-FCO40-3614-UK-Hong-Kong-Scholarship-Scheme-donation-to-the-UK-Governme-1992 — Page 136

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Reference

understand the appointment is for September/October).

5. Apart from the KC Wong Scholarships scheme Dr Lue is also the instigator of a number of other schemes to bring Chinese and Hong Kong students to the UK eg through arrangements with the Royal Society, British Academy and others. In the context of talking about Taiwan he mentioned that the Taiwanese, for their own reasons, were anxious to have in place formal agreements with UK institutions to enable exchanges in the academic, scientific, educational and cultural fields. Such an agreement was already in place with the Royal Society and provided for a flow of high level Taiwanese to the UK (which is presumably of value not only to Taiwan but to UK interests).

interests). Dr Lue maintains the Taiwanese are not overly concerned if the UK side are not in a position to match the flow of visitors, etc in the other direction. Dr Lue said the National Scientific Research Council in Taiwan were anxious to have a similar agreement in place with the British Academy for exchanges in the humanities field. Although the expense to/administration for the Academy would therefore be minimal, Dr Lue had so far failed to persuade the Academy of the value of such an enabling link. He thought the Academy/British interests might be losing out an opportunity here. I said I was not aware of close FCO contacts with the Academy but would report the point in case there might be value in following this up ( I have mentioned this to Mr Seaton in FED. As we both agree there is some risk that by pressing the Academy on the point the latter would simply invite the FCO to put up funding).

seaug

M J Long

Overseas Students Policy Section

Cultural Relations Department

17 March 1992

cc: Chancery, Peking

Mr Seaton, FED

Mr Cox. HKD

CHOAAG