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This is a
Conse
hypothetund
question.
Ј
Вик
(3) How self-contained is Hong Kong in terms of a
cold war situation of positive non-
co-operation from China?
Listeners to this programme in Hong Kong will
be well aware 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,
that as it was really necessary Hong Kong
however, tha
fim Chernia could get by without these supplies, although we
would all hope that this valuable trade which is
of considerable mutual benefit will not be
deliberately terminated.
In the case of water, Hong Kong will by next
year have nearly trebled its existing storage
capacity of 16,800 million gallons of fresh water.
By then the Plover Cove reservoir will have been
completed adding a further 30,500 million gallons
(it-is, I might mention, already one third full but
the salinity level is at present rather high). This
would enable Hong Kong to provide a supply throughout
the year entirely from its own resources.
Alternative sources of food are available, at a
price. If Hong Kong had to forego this traditional Supples from China
and obviously natural source, particularly of fresh
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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