TNAG-2618-FCO40-3809-Visit-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1992 — Page 11

RESTRICTED

150550 MDTTAN 9687

CHINESE COULD THEN BE PRICKLY ABOUT CLOSING IT.

6. WHATEVER THE SOLUTION I SUGGEST THAT ANY ARRANGEMENT WILL BE A

BETTER ONE IF WE HAVE CANTONESE SPEAKERS IN THE SERVICE. WHETHER

WE COVER THE PEARL RIVER DELTA FROM HONG KONG OR FROM A SEPARATE POST, THOSE DOING THE JOB WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN GUANGDONG IF THEY KNOW CANTONESE DESPITE THE SPREAD OF OFFICIAL MANDARIN. EVEN

IN HONG KONG CANTONESE SPEAKERS WOULD BE USEFUL AND THAT PRESUMABLY WILL BE MORE SO AFTER 1997: WHILE IF WE DO LARGELY SERVICE THE DELTA AREA FROM HONG KONG THE LANGUAGE FACILITY WOULD BE EVEN MORE USEFUL. THAT IS A STEP THAT WE COULD TAKE NOW2 IN

RECOGNITION OF THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THE AREA.

SIGNED P.W. HEAP.

NNNN

1

PAGE

3

RESTRICTED

?