TNAG-2224-FCO40-3195-Gulf-War-burden-sharing-Hong-Kong-contribution-1991 — Page 101

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 05123OZ FCO

TELNO 390

OF 051127Z FEBRUARY 91

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

4KB 02013.

28

012547 MDHIAN 2369

Masting 774 ма басубали

Mr

enter

6/2

R.G.

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

22,

না

PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN, DUSS FROM GOVERNOR

YRTELNO 229 (NOT TO PEKING): GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING

1. AFTER THE END OF THE MAIN EXCO MEETING TODAY, I ASKED ALL MEMBERS TO COME TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE TO DISCUSS WHETHER THE HKG SHOULD MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE COSTS INCURRED BY HMG AS A RESULT OF THE GULF WAR.

2. I SAID THAT WE HAD RECEIVED NO FORMAL REQUEST FROM THE U K, ONLY AN INFORMAL ENQUIRY ABOUT OUR POSSIBLE INTENTIONS, DURING WHICH A FIGURE OF 15 MILLION DOLLARS HAD BEEN MENTIONED. BUT THE UK HAD REQUESTED HELP FROM JAPAN AND THE GULF STATES. IT WAS LIKELY THAT HONG KONG MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN A SECOND ROUND OF

REQUESTS. SO FAR AS I KNEW, SOUTH KOREA HAD GIVEN SOME 500 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS TO THE ALLIES. TAIWAN AND SINGAPORE HAD MADE SMALLER CONTRIBUTIONS, ALTHOUGH THESE HAD NOT BECOME PUBLIC. AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES, JAPAN, GERMANY AND SAUDI ARABIA HAD MADE PARTICULARLY LARGE CONTRIBUTIONS.

3. I SAID THAT THE GULF WAR WAS AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT AIMED AT

IMPLEMENTING RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.

'IT WOULD AFFECT THE WHOLE WORLD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THOSE

DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE MILITARY EFFORT WERE LIKELY TO REMEMBER

WHO HAD AND WHO HAD NOT PROVIDED ASSISTANCE. THIS MIGHT AFFECT

THEIR FUTURE ATTITUDES. HONG KONG HAD IN THE PAST ASKED FOR

INTERNATIONAL HELP ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES. WE WOULD NEED INTERNATIONAL HELP AND SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE, FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THE QUESTION OF THE PRC'S MFN STATUS WAS RECONSIDERED LATER THIS YEAR. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAD TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT PUBLIC AND PRESS OPINION IN HONG KONG REFLECTED CONCERN AND

ANXIETY ABOUT INVOLVEMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT AND THAT

OPPOSITION WAS PARTICULARLY STRONG IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS.

4. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ADVISED UNANIMOUSLY THAT THE HKG SHOULD

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