CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020 13
10
163502
MDHIAN 1022
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 28140OZ FCO
TELNO 299
OF 28112OZ JANUARY 91
G
PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN, DUSS FROM GOVERNOR
YOUR TELNO 178 : GULF : BURDEN SHARING
TOP COPY Q DIST?
la
1. WITH HOSTILITIES HAVING BROKEN OUT, AND LIKELY TO LAST FOR SOME TIME, I SEE A CASE FOR HONG KONG MAKING A CONTRIBUTION, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS GOING TO NEED A GREAT DEAL OF POLITICAL EFFORT TO ACHIEVE. IT WOULD HOWEVER NOT/NOT MAKE ANY SENSE POLITICALLY TO PERSUADE LEGCO TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND THEN FIND OURSELVES IN DISPUTE WITH THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ABOUT THE AGREED COST SHARING ARRANGEMENTS UNDER THE DCA, E.G. ON PATROL CRAFT. SUCH A SCENARIO WOULD DO IMMENSE DAMAGE TO HMG'S REPUTATION HERE.
2. THIS IS A SUBJECT I SHALL DISCUSS FURTHER WITH LORD CAITHNESS WHILE HE IS HERE. I SHALL ALSO WISH TO DISCUSS IT WITH EXCO. TO HELP ME IN THIS, COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE URGENTLY DETAILS OF CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. PARA 5 OF TUR MENTIONS TAIWAN AND KOREA. WERE BOTH OF THESE CONTRIBUTIONS DIRECT CAST GRANTS ? TO WHOM? WHAT HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED BY EG SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, THAILAND, INDONESIA AND BRUNEI ?
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
21
DISTRIBUTION
21
LIMITED
HKD
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
NNNN
MR FAIRWEATHER
MR BAYNE
HD/E.U.
(PASSED)
MR BORADBENT, ECON ADVISERS
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CONFIDENTIAL