considerations are involved, trade promotion is a
legitimate if subsidiary objective of our aid policy
and that aid provided with trade promotion as an
objective should come from the ODA rather than the
DTI. I understand that the DTI strongly support the
proposal to make a grant under the aid programme.
5. Your other main objection was that you could
only find money for Hong Kong at the expense of somebody
else. I am not sure however that we have explained
the proposal to you in sufficient detail. The position
is that the Japanese are providing equipment for the Holytechnic.
offer to Our proposal is that we should/provide equipment for
four technical institutes which have not yet been
built.
We want to encourage the Hong Kong Government
to go ahead with these technical institutes which, as
the DTI have said, will not only provide enhanced
Yourh
These
opportunities for Hong Kong's 100- to acquire tech-
nical education, but also contribute to Hong Kong's
efforts to diversify her industry and to achieve a
higher level of technological sophistication.
efforts are crucial if Hong Kong is to sustain ito hep
rate of economic growth in the face of serious and
growing competition from, in particular, Taiwan,
South Korea and Singapore, in her overseas markets.
I need hardly add that if Hong Kong were to run into
serious difficulties we would have to find perhaps a
considerable sum of money to support the Colony.
6.
What I am suggesting is that we should help
Hong Kong to help herself and in the process help
The £400,000 would clearly not all be
ourselves.
needed immediatay.
With agreement in principle to
provide the full sum I should be very supri sed if
more than about £100,000 would be required this year.
Х
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN