CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 11102OZ JUNE 92
CONFIDENTIAL
! інкс
02015
362
CM
INFO TELELETTER PEKING, HONG KONG, DTI
N
19
114376
MDTTAN 0605
wn volum
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FROM: P MORRICE, TAIPEI (CURRENTLY VISITING HONG KONG) FOR: H DAVIES, FED, FCO
COPIED TO: RICKETTS, HKD, FCO
LOVE, OT2/2, DTI
MCLEAN, PEKING SBTC, BTC
For Mk to comment
an 'X
Yes, this Sort/ of thigh leaded the P.A.
BRADLEY, POLAD
ly
UK/TAIWAN RELATIONS
I
1. TWO WEEKS IS A VERY SHORT TIME IN WHICH TO MAKE ANY ASSESSMENT
OF THE STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN LONDON AND TAIPEI AND SO I
SHALL NOT VENTURE DOWN THAT ROCKY PATH AT THIS STAGE. HOWEVER, SHOULD RECORD WHAT HAS BEEN SAID TO ME SINCE MY ARRIVAL BY TWO
FAIRLY IMPORTANT FIGURES WITHIN THE TAIWAN ESTABLISHMENT SINCE
THE MESSAGE WERE PRETTY CLEAR.
2. THE OCCASIONS WERE OFFICIAL DINNERS GIVEN BY THE TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT TO SAY FAREWELL TO MY PREDECESSOR, DAVID POINTON, AND TO MARK MY ARRIVAL. THE HOSTS WERE VINCENT SIEW, THE HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, AND CY FANG, THE SOMEWHAT TETCHY VICE-MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. ON BOTH
OCCASIONS THE HOSTS MADE FORMAL SPEECHES IN WHICH THEY WERE
HIGHLY COMPLIMENTARY ABOUT THE EFFORTS MADE BY DAVID POINTON TO BUILD UP THE ATTC, BUT EQUALLY POSITIVE ABOUT THE CHANGES TAKING PLACE THERE WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF AN FCO OFFICIAL TO HEAD IT
AND A BEEFING UP OF THE UK-BASED STAFF. BOTH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE BARRIERS TO ANY FORMALISATION OF OUR PRESENCE
BUT SAID THAT THEY LOOKED FOR WARD TO A PRACTICAL AND PRAGMATIC
APPROACH TO THE RELATIONSHIP IN THE FUTURE AND LEFT ME IN NO
DOUBT THAT THEY SAW MY OWN APPOINTMENT AS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN
THAT DIRECTION.
3. NOW FOR THE 'OFF' NOTES STUCK ON BOTH OCCASIONS AND WHICH
MAY HAVE CONTAINED THE MESSAGES. VINCENT SIEW WAS VERY POSITIVE
THROUGHOUT AND THE FACT THAT HE LAID ON A DINNER AND N NO WAY TRIED TO CUT IT SHORT DESPITE RECENT ILLNESS AND A CRIPPLING
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