(3) How self-contained As Hong Kong in terms of a
colê was situation of vasi tive non-
co-operation from China?
Listeners to this pro, ramme in Hong Kong will
be well awaro how dependent the Colony is today on
China
food and water supplies from the mainland, and it is
hardly necessary for me to say that from this source
Over half comes-about-
of all food supplies and about
a third of the water required to maintain an
unrestricted supply throughout the year,
Impressive as these figures are, I must add,
however, that if it was really neconvery Hong Kong
could get by without these supplies, although we
would all hope that this valuable trade which is
of considerable mitual bonefit will not be
deliberately terminated.
In the case of water, Hong Kong will by next
year have nearly trobled its existing storage
capacity of 16,800 million gallons of fresh water.
By than the Flover Cove reservoir vill have been
completed adding a further 30,500 million gallons
(it is, I might montion, already one-third full but
the salinity level is at prosent rather high). This
would enable llong Kong to provide a supply throughout
the year entirely from its own resources.
Alterative sources of food are available, at a
prios. If Hong Kong had to forogo the traditional styles from China and obviously naturel source, particularly of frosh
meat and vegetables, the distance from other sources
and other factors
of supply/would greatly add to its food bill. And
over a long period this in turn yould have other
consequences for the economy,
/Certainly
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