CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 05133OZ FCO
TELNO 1426
OF 05113OZ MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
HD 243/20
48
041646
MDHIAN 3444
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE COMMITTEE:
PRESS LINE ON U K FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
1
FOLLOWING WHAT WAS SAID IN FINANCE COMMITTEE ON 3 MAY ABOUT THEIR
WISH THAT THE UK SHOULD MAKE FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE COST
OF MAINTAINING VBP IN HONG KONG, MOST NEWSPAPERS AND THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA HAVE CARRIED STORIES ABOUT THE UK RESPONSE ON 4 AND 5 MAY.
AN FCO SPOKESMAN IS WIDELY QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE UK WOULD NOT/
NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HONG KONG.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE HANDLED WITH CARE SO AS TO
AVOID THE WRONG REACTION HERE WHICH WOULD UNDO THE GOOD THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE CONTRIBUTION OF 6 MILLION POUNDS THROUGH UNHCR. A LINE WHICH WOULD BE BETTER FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION WOULD BE TO REFER TO THE VERY SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION JUST MADE FOR PILLAR POINT AND TO ADD THAT THE VIEWS OF MEMBERS OF FINANCE COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HMG AND WILL OF COURSE BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AS THE SITUATION DEVELOPS.
3. IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS APPROACH WE WILL ADOPT THE SAME LINE WITH
THE PRESS HERE.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
PAGE
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
1
CONFIDENTIAL
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