TNAG-2259-FCO40-3255-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-Brit-1991 — Page 242

спец

B.comp.

але

compe

if

Compares

Fitvie

411

Sir John Coles

CONFIDENTIAL

Mc Furness

ра

HKD 18 213.

From:

m

Me shene

Silly, Bat dangerous

M

R O Miles

23/~=

Date: 21 August 1991

cc: Mr Bayne or

Mr

Burns or

Mr Cox, Hong Kong Dept

HONG KONG: PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (PADS)

1.

(83

Since my return from leave have seen the minuting on my report to Mr Bayne of 2 August (Mr Bayne's minute of 8 August and Mr Burns's minute of 9 August). I have also seen the Governor's despatch of 29 July, and subsequent minuting.

(૪૧)

2. I have an uncomfortable feeling that the issue which I wanted to raise is being ducked. The despatch and covering minutes contain no direct reference at all to the British commercial interest. Para 35 of the despatch contains an indirect reference, but, characteristically, it is in the context of political concern about Chinese misunderstanding of our position.

3. Mr Burns's minute of 9 August does address the question, but gives me cause for concern on different grounds. He suggests we may need to construct Chinese walls between the FCO and the DTI on this subject. As head of a Joint Directorate I should find myself uncomfortably perched on such a wall; but more important, the implication seems to be that these commercial considerations are not really for the FCO, but for DTI Ministers and No 10. But the FCO too is bound to give British commercial interests their full weight. We may, of course, conclude that there are other British interests which prevent us from pursuing them as we would wish. I am not so far convinced that there are in fact such British (as opposed to Hong Kong) interests. But it is for FCO Ministers to weigh up the two sides and strike a balance.

4.

What I should like to see is an attempt to bring home to the Governor and to the Hong Kong Government that, just as they recognise Chinese political imperatives and respond to them, so they must recognise British political imperatives. The British Government has put an enormous amount of effort, and has expended some political credit, in protecting Hong Kong's interest in this matter. It is not unreasonable that we should expect some pay off, and we are in a position to collect.

Flimer Wills

(85)

EC2ABT

RO Miles

CONFIDENTIAL