CONFIDENTIAL
Geopolitical Position
Lease of New Territories
Visit of the Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster to Hong Kong
September, 1970
Background Note
HONG KONG
BASIC PROBLEMS
The Crown Colony of Hong Kong is by far the largest
(in terms of economic activity and population) of our
remaining Dependent Territories. It is one of the most
densely populated areas of the world. There can, however,
be no constitutional progress towards self-government in
the Colony since there have been frequent and plain indications
that the Chinese Peoples Government expects the constitutional
status quo to be maintained.
2. The Hong Kong Government has constantly to bear in mind
the susceptibilities of its infinitely more powerful communiat
Chinese neighbour while at the same time making it clear to
the world at large that it is master in its own house and
has no intention of being reduced to a communist cypher as
has happened in the case of its near neighbour Macao. It
demonstrated the latter point very clearly by its handling
of the communist inspired disturbances which occurred in
the Colony during 1967.
3. Another of Hong Kong's basic problems arises from the fact that the lease of the New Territories (which comprise 365 square miles out of the Colony's total area of 400 square
CONFIDENTI AL