WHEN Sir David Ford was Hong Kong's Commissioner in London in 1980-81, most of the Chinese people he knew were in the restaurant business. This time, life for both his Chinese contacts and the Commissioner himself is very different.
''The second generation are in the professions. So there has been quite a change within these communities,'' Sir David said.
It is a change, accompanied by efforts to enrol those people in Hong Kong organisations and use them as ambassadors for the territory, that illustrates the dilemma confronting Sir David in his new post: ''The question now is where the focus of the Hong Kong Government Office should be, whether more business-focused or cultural.'' It is a question he is pondering as he settles into the Government's Grafton Street office, just off Bond Street, which is one of three offices occupied in London by the Hong Kong Tourist Authority, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Government. But that may change, Sir David says: ''It makes sense to have one building, one Hong Kong House.'' That emphasis on making the best use of time and resources means his office is now targeting two key areas: ''On people doing business with Hong Kong, investing, setting up offices, economically involved, trading.
''They are the most likely to understand the influence of Hong Kong to realise its potential. This is much more so now than in the early 1980s.
''Twinned to that is how we deal with the opinion-formers, like the media and politicians. As we come closer to 1997 this becomes a very sensitive story, more and more in the headlines,'' he said.
''It is very important for people to understand the changes involved and how Hong Kong will continue to prosper. That is a never-ending educative process. It is important not to have a scattergun effect as we only have so much resources.'' And time is of the essence, Sir David warns. ''The time scale is short so our focus must be more direct.'' That means a Hong Kong festival such as the one held last summer in London's Battersea Park, which drew 500,000 people in one weekend, is probably not appropriate this time, he says. ''Now there is much more known about Hong Kong. Battersea Park saw the softer side of Hong Kong.'' Sir David, 58, is pleased to be back in London for his three-year term - he told his London staff last time he left that he was young enough to return to the job post-Hong Kong - despite finding the crowds and crime make it less comfortable than a decadeago.