TNAG-0448-FCO40-513-Sterling-assets-and-balance-of-payments-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 214

1

CONFIDENTIAL

Miss Pestell

Mr Cambridge

STERLING: HONG KONG

1.

Reference

RECEIVED IN

MF 9/393/1

REGISTRY No. 51

- 6 FEB 1974

NKK 5/10

LA

"Wading

'

Today's supplement on Hong Kong in the Financial Times contains two articles dealing with Hong Kong and sterling. The first is by Derek Davies the Editor of the "Far Eastern Economic Review" who has been responsible for a number of tiresome reports in

The other is the press on this subject in the past.

■

longer and more dispassionate, by one Philip Bowring. The amount of correct detail in the article eg

Hong Kong's new MSP suggests that Mr Bowring has had access to a good deal of inside information. 1 ao not know whether he is based in London or in Hong

Kong.

2. I think we can leave it to the Treasury to any press enquiries which may arise from regard to these two articles. it is however likely that they may focus attention on the question of what happens after 51 March, so the sooner we are able to let it be known what our policy is to be, the better.

سا

Dineroty

D I Lewty

Financial Relations Dept

4 February 1974

c.c.

Mr Goodfellow HKIQD

Mr Wood News Dept

CONFIDENTIAL

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DO 145177 219242 500M 4/73 GM 1643/2

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