CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 633
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
20 MAY 1968
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
20 MAY 1968
[adw. H. R-Dpt.]
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED 'PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 238 OF 20TH MAY REPEATED
CO, PA SINGAPORE, AND HC KUALA LUMPUR.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 321.
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I MADE NO STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS IN KUALA LUMPUR. IN SINGAPORE
تے
I WAS ASKED (INTER ALIA) WHEN HONG KONG WOULD BECOME INDEPENDANT.
IN REPLY, I REFERRED TO STATEMENTS MADE IN PARLIAMENT BY
MINISTERS POINTING OUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF CONSTITUTIONAL
ADVANCE IN HONG KONG ARISING FROMHONG KONG'S PECULIAR POSITION.
ORTHONG
I WAS ASKED 'DOES THIS MEAN HONG KONG WILL NEVER BE INDEPENDANT?'
AND REPLIED 'NEVER IS A LONG WOR. CERTAINLY NOT IN MY TIME.' IN
RESPONSE TO FURTHER PRESSING I SAID SOME THING TO THE EFFECT
THAT IF HONG KONG HAD BEEN A FURTHER 100 MILES OUT TO SEA,
SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE BEFORE.
2. ABOVE.IS TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION AND IT WAS FAIRLY
THAS
CLEAR REPORTERS PRESENT WERE UNLIKELY TO GRASP FULLY ANYTHING SAID TO
THEM. SINGAPORE MAY BE ABLE TO ELABORATE FURTHER FROM RECOLLECTION
OF OFFICERS PRESENT AT INTERVIEW.
FO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING AS MYTEL 238, AND PRIORITY HC
KUALA LUMPUR AS MYTEL 10.
(Repeatnil as requested !
Jopt 17 x
Files
Co. H.K. Det!
F. E. P.
나
RREGFIZED IN ARCHIVESTA 63
حمة الله
HWD
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