TNAG-0306-FCO40-342-Equipment-for-technical-institutes-in-Hong-Kong-provision-of-1971 — Page 176

considerations are involved, trade promotion is a

legitimate if subsidiary objective of our aid policy

and that aid provided with trade promotion as an

objective should come from the ODA rather than the

DTI. I understand that the DTI strongly support the

proposal to make a grant under the aid programme.

5. Your other main objection was that you could

only find money for Hong Kong at the expense of somebody

else. I am not sure however that we have explained

the proposal to you in sufficient detail.

Theposition

is that the Japanese are providing equipment for the

Our proposal is that we should offer

Polytechnic.

to provide equipment for four technical institutes which

have not yet been built. We want to encourage the

Hong Kong Government to go ahead with these technical

institutes which, as the DTI have said, will not only

provide enhanced opportunities for Hong Kong's youth

to acquire technical education, but also contribute

to Hong Kong's efforts to diversify her industry and

to achieve a higher level of technological sophistication.

These efforts are crucial if Hong Kong is to sustain

her rate of economic growth in the face of serious and

growing competition from, in particular, Taiwan, South

I need. Korea, and Singapore, in her overseas markets.

hardly add that if Hong Kong were to run into serious

difficulties we would have to find perhaps a considerable

sum of money to support the Colony.

6. What I am suggesting is that we should help Hong

Kong to help herself andin the process help ourselves.

The £400,000 would clearly not all be needed immediately.

With agreement in principle to provide the full sum

I should be very surprised if more than about

£100,000 would be required this year.

Could not

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