TNAG-2794-FCO40-4034-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1993 — Page 43

d)

e)

CONFIDENTIAL

contact between the Taiwan authorities and Departments

other than FCO and MOD is less sensitive. If a suitable

occasion arises, I recommend that we allow Taiwan

Ministers to meet British Cabinet Ministers from such

Departments.

we have recently agreed that our cultural presence be taken

over the the British Council. The Anglo-Taiwan Education

Commission (ATEC) was set up in 1988 with the aim of

encouraging more Taiwan students to study in the UK. It

was funded by educational institutions (who subscribed to

its service), industry and grant-in-aid from the FCO.

Although housed in the same building it was completely

separate from ATTC. It was intended to become

self-financing within three years, but this proved not to

be possible (although the number of Taiwan students in the

UK has risen from a handful to around 3,000). With effect

from 1 April 1993 the British Council agreed, with much

encouragement from the FCO, to take over the running of the

ATEC. The British Council hope to extend its role into English Language Training and the organisation of cultural

visits and tours.

f)

this change provides the opportunity of further enhancing

our Taipei operation by integrating our cultural presence

with the ATTC so that they hve a similar relationship to that between the British Council and many of our overseas

posts. At the same time we would like to get rid of the

anachronistic "ATTC" and rename the whole operation

something like the "British Trade and Cultural

Office/Centre". As part of a major policy review on the

Asia/Pacific region, we are also looking at the possibility

of reinforcing the staff in Taipei by adding another DS

officer (at grade 7) to Taipei in FY 1996/7.

SBTAIWAN

CONFIDENTIAL