TNAG-2618-FCO40-3809-Visit-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1992 — Page 8

Director of Urban Services Hong Kong

5 March 1992

Dear Lord Caithness,

My colleagues and I were privileged to have been able to show you around the Museum of History yesterday. We hope you enjoyed the visit.

You enquired about books which contained a pictorial account of early Hong Kong. My curator has recommended two which I have pleasure in presenting.

Lord Caithness,

c/o Government House,

HONG KONG.

Yours respectfully,

faiter Barno

(Haider Barma)

Director of Urban Services

Many

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to lend me the two

books. They and the museum give me a taxcosity view of to Hong kong of yore z

45/F., Queensway Government Offices

66, Queensway, Hong Kong

Telephone: 8675638

Fax Number: 8690015, 8690169

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H.W. DAVIES, HEAD OF FED, FCO.

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COPIED: SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING.

PETER RICKETTS, HEAD HKD, FCO

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LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT TO CHINA/HONG KONG: REPRESENTATION IN al He GUANGDONG.

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HMA PEKING'S TELELETTER OF 23 DECEMBER TO HUGH DAVIES, HEAD OF FED.

1. WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED A COPY OF LORD CAITHNESS'S MINUTE TO THE

SECRETARY OF STATE OF 9 DECEMBER. MEANWHILE I AM GRATEFUL TO SIR

ROBIN MCLAREN FOR BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON HIS

TELELETTER.

2 I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SAID ABOUT THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF

GUANGDONG PROVINCE IN COMMERCIAL TERMS. IT IS CLAIMED BY MANY

HERE TO BE THE FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIAL AREA IN THE WORLD.

THEREFORE THE TRADE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LARGE AND ARE GROWING VERY

RAPIDLY. CLEARLY STAFF BASED IN GUANGZHOU WOULD BE BEST PLACED TO

ADVISE AND ENCOURAGE BRITISH EXPORTERS. THERE ARE ALSO THE PUBLIC SECTION DIMENSION AND THE COMMUNIST REGIME FACTORS: SO MANY COMMERCIAL OPENINGS REQUIRE CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL BUREAUCRACY AND THIS COULD BE BEST HANDLED BY THOSE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, AS WELL AS LANGUAGE (SEE PARA 6 BELOW).

3. THAT SAID I SHARE SIR ROBIN MCLAREN'S RESERVATIONS ON GROUNDS

OF DEPLOYMENT OF SCARCE RESOURCES ABOUT ANY EARLY MOVE TO OPEN A

POST IN GUANGZHOU. GUANGZHOU IS 95 MILES FROM HONG KONG, A TWO AND A HALF HOUR RAIL JOURNEY, AND WHEN GORDON WU'S HIGHWAY IS COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS IT WILL BE LESS BY ROAD. WE HAVE CLOSED A NUMBER OF SUBORDINATE POSTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING SOME IN HIGH PRIORITY COMMERCIAL AREAS EG PHILADELPHIA, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED TOO CLOSE TO OTHER LARGE POSTS, AND SOME EG IBADAN, ONCE A NEW HIGHWAY PUT THEM MUCH