En Clair
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
Telno. U/N
ICLASSIFIED
Press.
2 December 1967
021900 Attention Glover.
237
سلام
Government spokesman today described as absolute nonsense a newspaper report alleging that five hundred thousand dollars had been paid by Hong Kong Government in connection with discussions on local border matters including release of two (repeat two) police constables.
The spokesman said Chinese officials with whom these discussions took place had asked Hong Kong Government not to reveal such details,
However, he said in view of this alleged disclosure, Government was obliged to state that the only compensation paid was one thousand six hundred and eighty JMP. This was in respect of graves and was cal-
culated in usual manner.
The other sum was in fact seventy thousand dollars, or twentynine thousand four hundred JMP at the pre-devaluation rate which has now been transferred.
Hong Kong economic: indicators. Cheques worth about five thousand million dollars passed through Hong Kong clearing house in October, compared with almost four thousand nine hundred million dollars in September, nearly five thousand five hundred million dollars in May when local disturbances began and about five thousand one hundred million dollars in June.
Electricity production in October totalled two hundred and sixty- five million kilowatt hours. Gas production was about five hundred thousand therms, compared with about four hundred and seventy thousand in September.
Ends.
Informs.
C.O.
F.0.
Sir D. Trench
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
77777
H.K.D.
News Dept.
Defence Dept.
J.I.P.G.D.
F.E.D.
News Dept.
J.I.R.D.
O.L.A. O.P.A.
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