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disturbed to find what a struggle it was to persuade H.E. to do anything at all in the way of pushing for a favour- able E.C.G.D. decision on the tunnel. He seemed convinced that E.C.G.D. had taken their decision on political grounds and was therefore well reconciled to the French offer. But perhaps this was just a debating position, for you will see that in the event he delivered the goods from my point of view. I may say that he entirely neglected the milk and water draft I had presented to him, and pitched in with a much stronger one instead. With this type of talk going round I find it rather unreal to see references in Personnel Department papers etc. to the need to do every- thing possible to avoid giving the Chinese the idea that Hong Kong is somehow politically divorced from the United Kingdom.
6. Hong Kong has recently had two sets of visits from Conservative M.P's. Three of them (Atkins, Brien and Campbell) came here last week. Atkins went on record
several times as saying that Hong Kong would get the Kai Tak extension loan and this was well reported in the Press. This week has brought us Anthony Royle, who has contented himself so far with an assurance that he will press strongly for the Kai Tak Loan when he gets back to Westminster. The Hong Kongers have lost no opportunity, as far as I can judge, of rubbing into the visitors the enormities of the present method of negotiating air traffic rights, and officials here are not slow to curdle my blood with stories of how they will do for the B.0.A.C. rights if Hong Kong does not get the loan, but I think a lot of it is hot air.
7. The Plover Cove opening went very well and the message was rubbed in about Hong Kong's massive new water reserves.
8.
I have a procession of trade missions coming towards me. The Menswear people are here, Children's Wear on Saturday, Footwear a week later, and then Peter Tennant of B.N.E.C. (shades of the tunnel) in mid-February, so I am glad that Mark Goodfellow is back, even if his wife did lay me out for a week with flu received when I kissed her at the airport.
9. As a tail piece I report that when Mr. Shears, a legal gentleman, collapsed and died in the Hilton Coffee Bar on Sunday afternoon, whose photo should they put in the obituary of the South China Morning Post but that of your correspondent! I feel like Lazarus.
ever.
Years
ellichere s
(M.P.V. Hannam)
Principal Trade Commissioner
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