75
En Clair
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
Telno 1862
UNCLASSIFIED
12 December, 1967
TOP COP
ни
Addressed to Peking telegram No. 662 of 12 December Repeated for information to:- Commonwealth Office.
(73)
My telegram No. 656: East River Water.
iştir
We sent another cheque to the Bank of China on
9 December by registered post, but this also was returned, with the 'explanation' that the Bank had been advised that our statement of water charges had not been reconciled with the statement prepared by the Administration Bureau of the East River/Shumchun Water Project, and that the Bank could accept payment only when our statement carries the sign- ature of the Administration Bureau. We have therefore arranged for a message to be passed through normal water- works contacts at the border and by letter to the Director of the Administration Bureau asking that since the Bureau has received a copy of our statement of charges the Bank be authorised to accept payments.
*
the practice for officials from both sides to meet at Man Kam To each month to agree the figures for consumption. Paragraph 2 of part 2 of the Water Agreement lays down that the monthly figures should be 'checked and signed' by Officers from both sides but says nothing to prevent this being done by post.
3. We shall report again if our latest attempts at payment are frustrated. It is hard to see the point of these manoeuvres unless the aim is to get us again to send an official (as was the original practice) over the Man Kam To Bridge to reconcile the monthly statements. In view of previous troubles there and also of the periodic maltreatment of our engine drivers when across the border at Lowu we are not now prepared to do this.
C.O. please pass Peking as my telegram No. 662.
Sir D. Trench
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[Repeated as requests6
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RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
13 DEC1967
HWB 18/42