TNAG-2506-FCO40-3647-Official-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 14

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CALL ON THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY BY THE GOVERNOR FOR TAIWAN ON THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BOARD

1. EXCO MEMBER ANDREW WONG, WHO IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE TAIWANESE, HAS TRANSMITTED A REQUEST TO US FOR THE TAIWANESE GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA, SAMUEL HSIEH, TO PAY AN OFFICIAL CALL IN HIS CAPACITY AS AN ADB GOVERNOR ON THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, IN THE LATTER'S CAPACITY AS THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF THE ADB. THE CALL WOULD TAKE PLACE DURING HSIEH'S VISIT FOR THE ADB BOARD MEETING IN HONG KONG IN EARLY MAY. ANDREW WONG WAS ASKED TO CONVEY THIS REQUEST BY JOHN NI, THE HEAD OF THE CHUNG HWA TRAVEL SERVICE.

2. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY PLANS TO ACEDE TO THE REQUEST, BUT IN THE OFFICE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE CHAIRMAN, ADB AT THE CONVENTION CENTRE, NOT IN HIS GOVERNMENT OFFICE. THIS WOULD UNDERLINE THAT FACT THAT THE FS WILL BE RECEIVING HIM IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ADB. THIS WOULD ALSO BE ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT HSIEH CALLS IN HIS CAPACITY AS AN ADB GOVERNOR, AS HE HAS PROPOSED. IF THERE WERE PRESS QUESTIONS, OR COMPLAINTS FROM THE CHINESE, WE WOULD POINT OUT THAT IT IS COMMON FOR REPRESENTATIVES TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS TO CALL ON THE CHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT OF THEIR ORGANISATIONS DURING PLENARY MEETINGS. A CALL BY HSIEH ON THE FS WOULD NOT IMPLY ANY OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF TAIWAN.

3. WE ALSO PLAN TO MAKE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE FOR JOHN NI TO ACCOMPANY HSIEH ON THE CALL. WE DO NOT WANT HIM TO CLAIM THAT HE HAS REPRESENTATIVE STATUS BY BEING PRESENT. HIS ROLE MUST REMAIN THAT OF THE HEAD OF THE CHUNG HWA TRAVEL SERVICE, WHICH IS NON-REPRESENTATIVE.

4. HSIEH MAY WELL PRESS FOR CLOSER OFFICIAL CONTACTS IN THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC FIELDS. WE ALREADY HAVE WORKING LEVEL CONTACTS ON BANKING MATTERS, AND CONTACTS ON TRADE MATTERS ARE NOW DEVELOPING IN THE APEC CONTEXT. THE TDC ALSO DO A LOT OF WORK

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