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Mr...Ashton.29/5
Mr...Johnston
Permt. U.S. of S.
Mr....
.Vile..
डा
Parly. U.S. of S.
Mr..
Minister of State
Sir
Secretary of State
Your Reference.....
Date....
DRAFT
A.J. Phelps, Esq., Treasury.
TOP SECRET
For Mr. Johnston's signature
FURTHER ACTION
1. Copies to
T.A.G. Chapiton (W.0.)
W. Russel Edmunds (Tsy) H.K. Carison file
Thank you for your letter of the 24th May
about the defence contribution from Hong Kong.
I am sorry you have not heard from us before now
about the cxamination of a possible increase
which our Ministers were invited to make by tho
Defence Committee, but the problem is rather
complicated, and perhaps I could briefly say
where it stands at the moment.
The Government of Hong Kong have for
carry
some time been representing that they should not
be left to carry from their own resources the
burden of the three-quarters of a million refugees
from Communist China who have come into Hong Kong
and who cannot be exported out of the Colony.
have been entertaining hopes that some international
responsibility will be accepted for the refugees
and have been pressing us to take a lead in this
direction in the U.N. In fact, of course, any
They
2. Recirc. to Mr. Huijsman lead we take would involve U.K. contributions to
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(P.7785) 59816/7301 IMP 12/56 AT&S. 763.
any international help that might be forthcoming,
which would be directly contrary to U.K. policy
in regard to U.N. refugee work, and it is
therefore unlikely that any help will be
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/forthcoming
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