TNAG-2224-FCO40-3195-Gulf-War-burden-sharing-Hong-Kong-contribution-1991 — Page 99

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN. DUSS ROM GOVERNOR

YATELNO 229 (NOT TO PEKING)= GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING

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

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 U K 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.

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 PRO'S MEN 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 MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS HMG'S COSTS. THEY MADE THREE

PARTICULAR POINTS:

A) WE SHOULD EMPHASISE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CONTRIBUTION WAS BEING MADE TO THE UK, THE GULF WAR WAS AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS, UNLIKE THE FALKLANDS IN WHICH ONLY HMG WAS INVOLVED.