  I discuss the theoretical status of the `soft' pomeron and its place in
describing generic diffractive processes. The role of perturbative QCD (pQCD)
corrections is considered, in particular in the context of quasi-elastic vector
meson production at high $Q^2$. In those processes where short distances are
dominant, the `hard' (pQCD) pomeron is expected to reveal itself, such a
process may well be that of diffractive vector meson production at high-$t$ and
I discuss this.
