TNAG-2912-FCO40-4187-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 41

MKD 021

RECE

DLS

INDE

1/2

18 OCT 1993

Mr Gee please

(90

blue to the Morais

8111.

519

in Mom's 4.0

M

Mr

From:

M. Bura fus Waigh 4/10 Date:

Wyver

Ms Barnes - Jongs. I'll he away cc:

This could be an

this day.

interesting day,

tho' not of dired relevance to

Harp Kang for the most part, I expect.

Mr Masefield

You might keep the date free.

Basil Eastwood

Research and Analysis

Department

5 October 1993

Mr Hum

Mr Fry, FED

Mr Ricketts, HKD

Mr Hewitt, SEAD

We can decide participation nearer the time.

SEMINAR ON ASIA-PACIFIC

1. There has been consensus for some time that a Seminar on this region would be timely, and we have booked the India Office Council Chamber for 24 November. Meanwhile Dr Hoare and I have been trying to make the various ideas that have been floating around about it coalesce into a coherent and practicable Seminar proposal. This minute seeks your endorsement of our thinking so far.

2.

3.

I recommend that the objectives of the seminar should be:-

to raise the profile of the region in the collective consciousness of the FCO;

to establish/reinforce a network of key academics, commentators, businessmen and officials dealing with the region;

to tap non-FCO ideas about what government should be doing towards the region but also;

to inform outside commentators about the role of government.

Earlier minuting suggested that the scope should be confined to East and South-East Asia. I agree Asia-Pacific is too large and too ill-defined an area to be manageable in a day.

4. If we are to focus on what government should be doing towards the region, we should also decide whether to take a purely national standpoint, whether to go for an avowedly European standpoint (remembering that I usually invite French and German