CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG
Hong Kong in 1970:
resemblance is remarkable.
England in 1870. In many ways the
The industrial revolution, pushed on
its way by private venture with the spur of quick profits:
hypocritical attitudes towards sex and gambling;
with extremes of wealth and poverty
now as it was of England then.
2.
low rates of tax
all this is true of Hong Kong
Add to that, that the structure of the Hong Kong Government is
necessarily Colonial, with all that that implies, and the picture is
complete. Power in Hong Kong today lies in the hands of a few rich
men, and the glory in an OBE or an invitation to Government House.
3. On the surface the uncertainty of the Colony's future seems to
be virtually ignored outside Government circles. The British
Garrison clearly has a stabilising influence, and it seems that
behind this shield and with an efficient - if unimaginative –
Government which interferes as little as possible in local commercial
matters, most business men expect to get their capital back within
three to five years.
4.
Leaving aside the whole question of relations with China, which
is more a matter for Far Eastern Department than Hong Kong Department,
I came away with a feeling of uneasiness on three counts:
(a) although the economic development of recent years has
2
lifted the standard of living of the people generally, many
of the poorest families still live in appalling conditions
of urban squalor;
(b) there seems to be a growing desire among the post-war
generation for a greater say in the conduct of government
business a feeling that the policies of the Government are designed primarily to further the interests of the
wealthy industrialists:
/ (c)
CONFIDENTIAL