CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3090
OF 24094OZ OCTOBER 90
CONFIDENTIAL
ва
(22
000557
MDHIAN 6077
(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 25/10) HK6 020 /27
STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN, DUSS FROM GOVERNOR
2
YOUR TELNO 1945: GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING
·
mn
1 I HAD AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO YESTERDAY ABOUT WHETHER HONG KONG MIGHT MAKE SOME CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN THE GULF CRISIS. I TOOK AS A STARTING POINT THAT THIS WOULD BE A CONTRIBUTION ON THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE AND THAT IT WOULD BE PART OF A MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONAL EFFORT.
2. THE FEELING IN EXCO WAS VERY WARY. MEMORIES OF THE SHARP LOCAL REACTION TO HONG KONG'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE FALKLANDS FUND WERE ALL TOO FRESH. THE FIGURES IN YOUR TUR FOR WHAT SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN HAD DONE ALSO CAUSED A GOOD DEAL OF CONCERN. THE GENERAL FEELING WAS THAT, IF HONG KONG DID MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, IT COULD NOT CONCEIVABLY BE ON THE SCALE OF THE FIGURES IN TUR. THERE WAS THEREFORE A REAL RISK OF GETTING THE WORST OF ALL WORLDS: BAD REACTION LOCALLY AND LITTLE OR NO THANKS INTERNATIONALLY, WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT SAY THAT HONG KONG'S CONTRIBUTION WAS TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE.
3. THE LIKELY REACTION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS THOUGHT BY MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO ON LEGCO TO BE A SERIOUS OBSTACLE. IT WOULD CERTAINLY RULE OUT ANY CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR SO LONG AS HONG KONG WAS SPENDING LARGE SUMS ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND UNHCR WAS HEAVILY IN DEBT TO THE HKG. THE GENERAL VIEW OF THESE LEGCO MEMBERS WAS THAT, IF A PROPOSAL WAS PUT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE NOW WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS HUMANITARIAN CONCERN BEING IN THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC, THERE WOULD BE A VERY ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE WITH A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT LEGCO WOULD THROW OUT A GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS WOULD DO HONG KONG NO GOOD
INTERNATIONALLY.
4. THE GENERAL VIEW AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE TO FLOAT NOW WITH LEGCO A PROPOSAL FOR A HONG KONG FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE GULF CRISIS. NEVERTHELESS, THE POSSIBILITY SHOULD NOT BE RULED OUT IF EVENTS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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