TNAG-2910-FCO40-4185-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 53

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Mr Davies, FED

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Bytes-Jones

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HKD 021/2

12 FEE 1993

Hum

8 February 1993

Sir J Coles

Mr Ricketts, HKD

8/2

UK/JAPAN 2000 GROUP: PROPOSED SEMINAR

1.

It was clear from a number of conversations that I had in Tokyo that the Japanese have considerable misgivings about the idea of holding in Hong Kong our proposed seminar on Asia, sponsored by the UK/Japan 2000 Group.

2. The matter was first raised with the Ambassador and myself on 2 February by Nomura, the new Director-General for Europe.

He said that the Gaimusho were worried that "a UK/Japan 2000 Group meeting" in Hong Kong would be seen by the Chinese as provocative. I explained that what we had in mind would be no more than a seminar under the sponsorship of the Group. The theme would be a general Asian one: there would be no particular concentration on Hong Kong or China. While the occasion would be primarily a UK/Japan one (and designed to give further impetus to bilateral consultation through the UK/Japan 2000 Group), we envisaged that there would also be participation from Hong Kong and mainland China. Nomura professed to be much reassured by this. I had a very similar exchange, with the same outcome, with Satoh (Director-General for North America) the following morning. He commented that it made sense to promote Hong Kong as a venue for international meetings.

3. The question came up yet again the same evening in a conversation with Shiina, the Diet member and stalwart of the UK/Japan 2000 Group. He said the Japanese members of the Group were worried about the idea, as were the Asian Division of the Gaimusho. He was not fully reassured by my explanation, commenting that even though he now understood our thinking better, he was still sure the businessmen and politicians on the Japanese side of the Group would not agree to a seminar located in Hong Kong.

4.

I said that holding the seminar was surely more

The location was a important than where it took place. secondary issue. Essentially our idea was for a bilateral UK/Japan event, although location in Hong Kong offered

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