(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500м 2/69 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
ECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
DRAFT BRIEF
To:-
..In Confidence
Type 1 +
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
KAI TAK AIRPORT LOAN
BACKGROUND
In March 1967 Hong Kong asked for grant aid
for the extension of Kai Tak Airport runwayy totalling £2季 million. In July 1968 this application was replaced
by one for a loan of-the-same-amount for £6 million
to cover the full cost, as it was then estimated. (In
September 1970, the Governor informed us that the
cost had increased to £11 million).
original
2. The case for financial assistance for this
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refused by
project was put to' ODM, the Board of Trade and the
the grounds that, as compared with other applicants, Treasury, but was turned down in all cases, since they
on
was
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considered Hong Kong to be too wealthy compared with
other aid applicants to warrant assistance, and there
WOO NO MOTey available from other than aid sources. No
(during a man- there formal reply was given to Hong Kong but,in April 1970
then
of current economic diffrinlits, the previous Secretary of State stated that the UK had
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vien
to watch very carefully any investment, abr
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of our then coonomie difficulties but that the aid not,
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Dorials!
rule out a contribution and the matter would be tooked
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in 1971.
1970,
at again next year. In September, the Governor asked
for a definite answer but, Reye during his visit to in better 1970 her Royle
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Hong Kong could go no further than saying that the
excanered.
question was being looked at. (The Governor had previousl
been told that it was only in the FCO that there had
been any support for his case)
/.... THE PRESENT