SECRET
HKE 063/1
SECRET FM FCO
TO DESKBY 07003OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 276
OF 06172OZ FEBRUARY 91
Ra
017571 MDHOAN 7306
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM MCLAREN, DUSS
YOUR TELNO 412: HONG KONG PATROL CRAFT
1. LORD CAITHNESS HAS AGREED TO SPEAK TO MR HAMILTON ABOUT THE CURRENT DEADLOCK WITH THE MOD OVER THE FINANCING OF THE PATROL CRAFT. LIKE YOU, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THE LATEST TURN OF EVENTS.
2.
THERE IS OF COURSE A BITTER IRONY IN THE FACT THAT THIS BOMBSHELL HAS LANDED ON YOUR DESK JUST AT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE TRYING, AT GREAT POLITICAL COST, TO SECURE AGREEMENT TO A CONTRIBUTION TO THE UK GULF WAR EFFORT. I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WITH THE MOD TO MAKE ANY DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE TWO EVENTS. BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT, IN SPEAKING TO MR HAMILTON, LORD CAITHNESS SHOULD CERTAINLY REFER TO THE GULF CONTRIBUTION CONCE IT HAS BEEN APPROVED) AND SUGGEST THAT IT
WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE FOR YOU TO EXPECT TO DERIVE SOME POLITICAL CREDIT FOR IT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT A ''STRINGS ATTACHED'' CONTRIBUTION WOULD CARRY LESS WEIGHT THAN
AN UNCONDITIONAL DONATION.
3 »
IT HAS HOWEVER OCCURRED TO US, AS IT WILL CERTAINLY HAVE OCCURRED TO YOU, THAT SIR M QUINLAN'S LETTER NOW PUTS YOU IN A 'VERY AWKWARD POSITION VIS A VIS EXCO. I ASSUME THAT EXCO
MEMBERS, NOT TO MENTION MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, WOULD BE MUCH LESS WELL DISPOSED TOWARDS THE IDEA OF A CONTRIBUTION IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE STATE OF YOUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MOD OVER THE PATROL BOATS. AS YOU INDICATED IN AN EARLIER TELEGRAM, IT WOULD BE VERY DAMAGING INDEED IF, AFTER HONG KONG HAD MADE ITS GULF CONTRIBUTION, THE DISPUTE WITH THE MOD WERE TO SURFACE IN PUBLIC. THE QUESTION WILL OBVIOUSLY ARISE OF WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD HAVE INFORMED EXCO AND
LEGCO OF THE PATROL BOAT
ISSUE WHEN THEY WERE CONSIDERING THE SIZE AND NATURE OF A GULF CONTRIBUTION.
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