TNAG-2224-FCO40-3195-Gulf-War-burden-sharing-Hong-Kong-contribution-1991 — Page 96

CONFIDENTIAL

015757 MDHIAN558

LOCALLY IT WOULD BE TAKEN AS THE GOVERNMENT RAILROADING THROUGH ITS OWN PROPOSAL REGARDLESS OF OTHER VIEWS.

6. EVEN THOUGHT I WOULD GREATLY PREFER A SIMPLE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, DONATION, THE CONSIDERATIONS ABOVE LEAD ME TO CONCLUDE THAT IF, TO GET THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VOTES WE MUST ASK THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION BE DEVOTED TO LOGISTIC, MEDICAL AND OTHER SUPPORT FACILITIES, OR A FORMULA OF THAT SORT, WE SHOULD DO SO. IF HOWEVER THIS WOULD PLACE HMG IN A REALLY DIFFICULT POSITION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MY IMPRESSION FROM EARLIER TELEGRAMS IS THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE.

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7 I AM KEEN TO RESOLVE ALL THIS AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 8 FEBRUARY. THE SUBJECT IS NOW A MATTER OF MAJOR PUBLIC DEBATE. DELAY WOULD HAVE NO POLITICAL ADVANTAGES. IT WOULD HAVE THE PRACTICAL DISADVANTAGE THAT, BECAUSE OF CHINESE NEW YEAR, NO DECISION COULD THEN BE TAKEN UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

29

DISTRIBUTION

29

.GULF BURDENSHARING SECRET

NO DISTRIBUTION

HD/POL/MIL EMERG UNIT (PASSED) HD/EMERGENCY UNIT (PASSED)

HD/NAD

HD/MED

HD/FED

HD/ERD

HD/HKD

PS

PS/PUS

PS/LORD CAITHNESS

MR BAYNE

MR FAIRWEATHER

MR BROOMFIELD

NNNN

MR GOULDEN

MR GORE-BOOTH

MR MCLAREN MR BURNS

PS/NO 10.

MR APPLEYARD CABINET OFFICE

MR GOWAN CABINET OFFICE

MR REEVES CABINET OFFICE

PS/CHIEF SECRETARY HMT

MR FELLGETT HMT

MR MOORE HMT

HD SEC(O) (C) MOD

MR BELL DUS(F) MOD

MR BRACK AUS (F) MOD