34
since it was bound to compete with Hong Kong we could not be
expected to favour it or co-operate in its development.
Colonel Li said that in any case the port would be
constructed. Their engineers told them that it would take
vessels of up to 15,000 tons, and they had worked out
figures which showed that a high percentage of the trade
could be diverted from Hong Kong to Whampoa.
It was
naturally the desire of the Chinese authorities so to divert
it, and it was the fact that this diversion would hit Hong
Kong so hard that made the Mayor anxious to discuss the
matter frankly with us and see if some way of minimising
the injury could not be found. Incidentally it should be
noted that in conversation with H.M. Ambassador at Canton
the Mayor had spoken of a much lower tonnage than 15,000
(say 5,000 or 6,000) as the figure aimed at] Colonel Li
also stated that it was intended to create a Chinese shipping
company to carry on the trade resulting from the development
of Whampoa.
The Governor said that, unlike the Ambassador, he
needed to consider only Hong Kong's interests and not the
interests of British trade as a whole. If Whampoa Port
was developed, it would undoubtedly draw trade away from Hong Kong; but he had a lively recollection of what had happened to Prai where a similar development scheme had been commenced but had been abandoned after Straits $2 1,000,000
had been thrown away on it. If, however, the Whampoa Port was developed successfully, the Hong Kong authorities would no doubt always be ready to discuss with the Chinese authori- ties suggestions for mutual adjustment. Nevertheless he thought the Chinese would be wiser in their own interests to develop the present river approaches to Canton and to complete the Canton Hankow Canton Kowloon link instead of
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/embarking