TNAG-2224-FCO40-3195-Gulf-War-burden-sharing-Hong-Kong-contribution-1991 — Page 44

HKB 02013,

CONFIDENTIAL

ADVANCE COPY

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 507

W

OF 190722Z FEBRUARY 91

pan

Eu.

senten en

53

056106

MDADAN 8977

apdo

gy

• fes chofeiturate?

wadni

of their tel. 333 los Regado lth.

Ma Furnes

2 J

YRTELNO 333 TO RIYADH: GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING

1

TO GULF

1 I READ WITH WRY AMUSEMENT TUR WITH ITS REQUEST FOR AN UPDATE ON MY HOST GOVERNMENT'S BURDEN SHARING CONTRIBUTION'

COSTS.

-

2. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MADE A CONTRIBUTION OF HONG KONG DOLLARS 230 MILLION (APPROXIMATELY POUNDS STERLING 15 MILLION) ON 8 FEBRUARY. SEE MY TELNO 461. THIS WAS ACHIEVED ONLY AFTER A GREAT AMOUNT OF LOCAL POLITICAL EFFORT AND AGAINST CONSIDERABLE

LOCAL POLITICAL OPPOSITION. I NOTICE THAT THE CONTRIBUTION HAS RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NO/NO, IF ANY, MENTION IN THE UK PRESS. A TIMES ROUND-UP ON 13 FEBRUARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS SO FAR FAILS TO

MENTION IT.

3. I TRUST THAT THE HONG KONG CONTRIBUTION, AND ITS VERY CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE, HAVE NOT SIMILARLY DROPPED

OUT OF SIGHT IN WHITEHALL.

4. FCO PLEASE ADVANCE TO BURNS, AUSS.

WILSON

YYYY

ADVANCE

23

.GULF BURDENSHARING

PS

PS/MR HOGG

PS/PUS

MR BAYNE

MR FAIRWEATHER

MR BROOMFIELD

DISTRIBUTION

23

PAGE

HD/ERD

HD/HKD

HD/ECONOMIC ADVISERS

PS/NO 10

MR APPLEYARD CABINET OFFICE

MR REEVES CABINET OFFICE

MR GOWAN CABINET OFFICE

1

CONFIDENTIAL