TNAG-2969-FCO40-4248-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-inclusion-of--1993 — Page 8

MISS GRAY OT2/28

From:

DAVID LOVE

OT2/2

Bay 732

Muniti

the department for Enterprise

CK 21/4

A - Is there

any mileage in his ouggestion?

Kingsgate House

GTN 215 5374

10 September 1992

Copy:

Diqueting

Jequity Cincy Clash . X Pomble secondiment job-

for current Head of FED?

Mr Warren

Mr Roberts Mr Meadway Mr Miles

Mr Murray

Mr. Hall

Mr Robbins

Mr Ricketts

Mr Davies

PS/MFT Dep Sec OT2

JD

OT2/2d o.r.

PEP

PEP

HKD/FCO

FED/ÉCO

Mr Smith-Laittan BTC HK Mr Kerfoot

BE Peking

HONG KONG: BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Private Office will be preparing a note of the call on MFT · this morning by Henry Keswick and William Courtauld of Jardines, which you attended. Their purpose was to enlist the Department's active support in encouraging the principal members of the Chamber to create and fund a more sophisticated, purposeful and higher profile Chamber. Their aims were to project the image of British business in Hong Kong after 1997 and play an active part in promoting British penetration of the China market.

2. They argued that such an initiative would fail if it were promoted mainly by a single leading member of the Chamber like themselves. They also argued that they were one of the few long established firms who had a strong investment position in Hong Kong but who were not influenced by their China connections to minimise their British flavour. They thought that the executive of the Chamber should be headed by a really high-powered senior figure. They were not seeking public funds.

3. The Minister agreed with this analysis but emphasised that it would need very careful thought and attention to tactics if leading firms who had done so much

much to develop their local credentials were to see it as in their interest to support a more dynamic British flagcarrier. We should look at this as a medium term objective and work out a considered game plan. circulating separately William Courtald's own position paper and proposal, "Preparing for 1997", which the Minister asked to see.

I am

ساسك

DAVID LOVE

Minda

Recycled Paper

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