(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Aw.
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K (69)
HONG KONG:
LONG-TERM STUDY
In March 1969 the Secretary of State circulated
(K (69) 1) to his colleagues on the Hong Kong Committee a report
on the long-term future of Hong Kong prepared by a
Committee of officials. This report has not yet been
taken by the Committee.
2.
In the meantime we have given further thought in
the FCO to an a spect of the subject to which the
official report perhaps paid too little attention -
namely, to the admittedly outside chance that a more co-operative government in China in the years to come might make possible some sort of negotiation with them about Hong/Kong's future. If this were the case it would at least mean that there was a chance of
bringing HMG's connection with Hong Kong to a conclusion
which was not wholly unsatisfactory.
But our
conclusion was that such a situation was hypothetical
and subject to so many imponderables that there was little purpose in attempting at this time a detailed
Assessment of the possibilities.
3.
Because of the length and detail of the official (K (69) 1) report it was decided to prepare a fresh covering paper for circulation to the Committee under the Secretary of State's name, identifying the issues on
which Ministers would have to take decisions and
the taking this opportunity to set out the further
conclusions mentioned in paragraph 2 above.
4. A draft is attached for the Secretary of State's
approval. It has been agreed with Sir L. Monson and Sir S. Tomlinson and approved by Lord Shepherd
before his departure for the Pacific. If the Secretary of State approves the paper it is hoped that
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