Reference HKK 5/12 Witk
Mr Cromartie (A & T D Room G66/1) Mr Kerr (FPAD Room G62/G)
4.
Please see the attached minute and draft letter.
2. We shall be glad of your views particularly on the suggestion that soft loans might be made available for developments at Hong Kong airport.
3.
We shall need to bear in mind Mr Haddon-Cave's proposals for aid (made on behalf of the Governor - see paragraph 7 of my minute). A photo-copy of this letter is attached for ease of reference. We shall be sending this to you separately for more considered views but did not wish to hold up the present draft.
12 September 1972
Fellow.
M A Goodfellow
Hong Kong and
Indian Ocean Department
Yes.
1.
I continue to attach importance to the granting of aid in some form or other for the development of Hong Kong airport. It seems to me that this is the only constructive possibility that has so far emerged for mitigating the problem of the divergence of views between ourselves and official and unofficial opinion in Hong Kong about the granting of air traffic rights. It seems to me that our decision would be much easier to defend if we had already in fact made a financial contribution to the airport.
2.
I have expanded the last sentence of paragraph 5 of the draft. I would suggest that it might also be worth adding something on the following lines which would show the DTI that they have a common interest with us on this aspect:-
A
as you know,
"There is a great deal of resentment in Hong Kong that we secure these benefits [from Hong Kong air- port for UK airlines after refusing to make any contribution to the construction of the airport. It would therefore be a great help to us vis a vis official and unofficial opinion in the Colony if we could point to a substantial contribution that we had made to the development of the airport.
Ram Ihramnet
A
DD 897152 154596 500M 2/72 GM 3643/2
R IT Cromartie Aviation & Telecommunications
14 September 1972 Department
Page 105Page 106
Mr Crowson Mr Laird
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