RESTRICTED
123010
MDHIAN 5358
9.
BUSINESS LINKS WITH THE UK ARE THRIVING EVEN THOUGH UK FIRMS DO NOT SHOW THIS MARKET (THE FIFTEENTH LARGEST IMPORTER IN THE WORLD) ALL THE ATTENTION IT WARRANTS. LAST YEAR SAW RECORD UK EXPORTS (#1.1 BILLION) AND RECORD UK INVESTMENT (#120 MILLION, MAINLY IN REFINING, CHEMICALS, PHARMACEUTICALS AND AEROSPACE).
BILATERAL RELATIONS
10.
THESE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. WE HAVE NO BILATERAL DISPUTES OF SUBSTANCE: THE ONLY DIFFERENCES THAT DO EXIST ARE MINOR (THE ROSSI CONSULAR CASE, VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS). THE SINGAPOREANS GENUINELY APPRECIATED THE UK'S EFFORTS, AS PRESIDENCY, TO PUT EC/ASEAN RELATIONS ON A BETTER FOOTING.
11.
ONE BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE, HOWEVER, WERE THE UNHELPFUL COMMENTS AROUND THE TURN OF THE YEAR BY LEE KUAN YEW ON HONG KONG. WHILE THANKFULLY WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING OF LEE'S CONSPIRACY THEORY IN RECENT WEEKS, THE CURRENT DIFFICULTIES ARE RECEIVING EXTENSIVE COVERAGE HERE. MR GOODLAD'S CALL ON THE PRIME MINISTER AND INTERVIEW WITH THE STRAITS TIMES WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO REITERATE OUR POSITION.
12.
THE SINGAPOREANS WANT TO BE SURE THAT EUROPE, AND IN PARTICULAR THE UK, ARE NOT NEGLECTING THIS DYNAMIC PART OF THE WORLD. THEY THEREFORE PARTICULARLY WELCOME THE VISIT OF A BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: AND VISITS SCHEDULED FOR MAY AND JUNE BY THE DEFENCE SECRETARY AND THE MINISTER FOR TRADE WILL BE SIMILARLY WARMLY RECEIVED.
FORD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
72
SEAD
HKD
FED
NEWS D
DISTRIBUTION
72
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD PS/PUS
SIR J COLES
PROTOCOL D
PAGE
3
RESTRICTED
RAD PUSD
NNNN
MR MASEFIELD
MR HUM
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