Ed. (3746)
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
CONFIDENTIAL
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
LETTER
DRAFT
To:-
W.E. Crump Esq.,
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
Great Westminster House, Horseferry Road,
London, S.W.1.
Type 1 + 2
From
Mr. W.S. Carter
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
10
5 September 1967
In Confidence
The Hong Kong Government are looking into possible
alternative supply sources for their food requirements
in the event that China, as a result of deliberate
decision or of a further deterioration in her internal
political situation, should fail to maintain her
traditional supplies to the Colony.
2. China supplies a large proportion of Hong Kong's
meat. It is mostly fresh and only small amounts of canned
meat are consumed at present. But considerations of
availability, transport and storage might well require that emergency meat supplies be tinned, and the Hong Kong
authorities are presently gathering figures on canned meat
stocks in the Colony and likely emergency requirements.
3. I believe that you maintain tinned meat stocks and
that it might be possible for Hong Kong to be assisted
therefrom in an emergency. In pursuit of this possibility may I put the following questions:
(a) what types of tinned meat could be supplied
to the Hong Kong Government and in what
quantities?
(b) how much notice would be necessary before
stocks could be released?
(c) is it possible to indicate a price?
(d) would meat from the stockpile be able to
withstand the long and often hot, sea
passage to Hong Kong or would special shipping arrangements have to be made?
CONFIDENTIAL
/4. Hong Kong