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BRIEF FOR HONG KONG MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE
INTERIM REPORT: HONG KONG
(PAPER NO. K(67)2)
This is an interim report by officials on emergency action to be taken if, in the immediate future, the situation
We believe that the Chinese intentions (while unpredictable in the present
revolutionary" ferment) are not to force us out of the
in Hong Kong gets beyond our control
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Colony but to humiliate us In these circumstances we see
no prospect of being able to negotiate an orderly withdrawal
and we
see no alternative but to continue our present policy for the time being. We have recommended that, in spite of some formidable difficulties, contingency plans for an
emergency evacuation should be prepared; it is recognised,
however, that there are severe limitations on what an
evacuation could achieve in the absence of Chinese co-
operation or acquiescence.
2. The interim report is to be followed by a further detailed
study on future policy in Hong Kong, in the event that the
Colony successfully weathers the present storm. This will
deal in particular with the case for (and the possibilities of) a negotiated withdrawal at a suitable and favourable
opportunity in the future. The tentative outline of this
longer term study is attached (Annex A).
Chinese intentions
All
3. Ministers should be aware that there was a slight difference of opinion among officials, one department (D.E.A.)
holding that, even in present circumstances, we should not
rule out the possibility of a negotiated withdrawal, using as our negotiating cards the continuation of China's trading
advantages which they derive from Hong Kong and the substan- tial sterling balances we hold on the Colony's behalf. other departments, however, consider that China's present attitude permits no such solution, although we do not rule it out as a possibility at a later stage if the Cultural
Revolution comes to an end and the attitude of the Chinese
Government becomes more rational. This possibility will, of course, be covered in the longer term study.
Problems of Planning for Evacuation
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