**
SECRED
New China Nows Agency in Hong Kong in February but has not had a
roply. This is not unusual.
As Me Maddocks has pointed out,
when Hong Kong wish to make a practical proposal which do not
urgent thoy can only do so in velting and the Kwangtung authorities
usually oxercise their option of cilokec. My Maddocks has told
us that the Director of Water Supplies will take the matter up
again at low level with the East River Water Administration thic
month. Our mission in Poking would much profer this question to ́
continue to be handled on a local basis,
(111)
Telecommunications
At present the telecommunications connection between Hong Kong
and Canton consists of a 12-channel VAF Solephono link. Somo time
ago the possibility was auggested of establishing a Hong Kong/Canton
telex link (which would be particularly useful during the Canton
Fair), opening a direct long Kong-Teking telephone link, and
using the route through Hong Kong as an alternative for the
present London/Shanghai tolophone link. A proposal that
representatives of Cable and Wireless should go to Poking for
negotiations La July met with a Mogative response from the
Chinoso. They made it clear that they were not willing to
discuss the matter for the time being. Mr Tenson has undertaken
to raico it again in Poking in Cuo course,
(iv) Meteorological Exchengas
This has also been dealt with on a local basis. The Director of
the Royal Observatory in Hong Kong wrote to the Regional Director
of tho Kwangtung Provincial Weather Duroau in February suggesting
an exchange of moteorological data. Ha hau had no reply. Tho
Observatory are not discouraged by this, They have plano to
SDCNDA