TNAG-2919-FCO40-4194-International-support-for-Hong-Kong-the-Americas--excluding--1993 — Page 20

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From: G H Fry

Date: 16 November 1993

CANADIAN PROPOSAL FOR MULTILATERAL MEETING ON HONG KONG

1.

At lunch today the Canadian High Commission said that Canadian thinking on the proposal for a multilateral meeting had undergone some changes. They no longer saw Asia Director as the right level, but now had in mind something at Head of Department level. They no longer thought it a good idea to involve academics. They were thinking of Hong Kong as the best venue.

2.

I uttered words of caution about the visibility of people like Winston Lord and the danger of making the Chinese think that we were ganging up on them. I also asked about the possibility of bilateral meetings. This was received positively. Our hosts could not remember the last UK/Canada talks on Asian issues, although they confirmed that their senior officials did not normally change with a change of government. Such a meeting might be easiest to arrange when one of their people was next over here for a Wilton Park conference.

3.

They said that over the last 10 years the Canadian Foreign Ministry had made a major effort to switch resources towards Asia/Pacific in spite of an overall decline in their budget.

Graham Fay

GH Fry

Far Eastern Department

WH 243

Ext: 270-2951

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2 5 NOV 1993

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