CONFIDENTIAL
ADVANCE COPY
! HKA 182/3
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 429
OF 140655Z FEBRUARY 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
30
114360
MDADAN 8459
Mr. Gox
Good points
in
Mr Stoya 1412
PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS.
PEKING:
FROM GOVERNOR.
Pa
14/-
Airport (British Interests)
PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR UKREP JLG: PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
YOUR TELNO 194: VISIT BY CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: HONG KONG AIRPORT.
1.
I HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUS FOR SOME TIME OF APPARENT CONCERNS IN LONDON ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU ARE IN THE PICTURE ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT, AND INDEED ON OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS THAT ARE LIKELY TO ARISE BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
из
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2. WE ARE, OF COURSE, HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH SUCH INFORMATION AS YOU MAY REQUIRE. BUT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS ON SUCH AN EXERCISE. TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS AN ANNUAL EXPENDITURE OF SOME 7 BILLION POUNDS, (I.E. 30 PERCENT MORE THAN SINGAPORE'S, DESPITE THE LATTER'S HEAVY EXPENDITURE ON DEFENCE AND DEBT PAYMENTS). OF THIS, 1.4 BILLION POUNDS GOES ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS. AMONG OTHER KEY POLICY AREAS, WE SPEND ALMOST A BILLION POUNDS A YEAR ON EDUCATION AND HALF A BILLION POUNDS A YEAR ON THE POLICE. EVEN IF IT WAS DESIRABLE IN POLICY TERMS TO KEEP YOU FULLY INFORMED ON ALL THESE SUBJECTS, THE RESULTANT MASS OF PAPER WOULD, I FEAR, OVERWHELM THE RESOURCES OF HONG KONG DEPARTMENT.
3.
ONLY YOU CAN HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PAPER FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE. I THEREFORE AGREE THAT THE BEST WAY FORWARD WOULD BE FOR FCO OFFICIALS TO VISIT HONG KONG FOR THIS PURPOSE.
4. AS YOU REALISE, THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE SENSITIVITIES HERE ABOUT WHAT LIES BEHIND YOUR INTEREST. THESE COULD BE REDUCED TO SOME EXTENT BY TACKING THE VISIT ONTO THE ONE BY LORD CAITHNESS. FOR EXAMPLE WHY NOT GET PETER RICKETTS TO SPEND SOME TIME IN HONG KONG, BEFORE OR AFTER THE WEEK OF THE VISIT ?. OR EITHER YOU OR NIGEL COX COULD COME WITH THE MINISTER'S PARTY AND THEN BE SEMI-
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