Bitzetankkasiakkaastighe
BeM.
Shanley's
minte at
lag A.
• loyalties
Ms %%
Extract
Mr. Wilford M. Lavd
The Constitutional Position
2.
L
T
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17 KK 22/4
It was strunge, not to say cerie, to find that although Hong Kong is a British dependoney, it has no British Governant representative there. The Trade Commissioner, Mr. Blackwell, does his best within the limits sot. To all intents and purposes the Governor is a virtually independent power wic the Queen, struggling on one side with the problems of long Kong itself and its neighbours, trading partners and competitors, and on the other side with the British Government as a not always sympathetic body with respons- ibility for Hong Kong only through an accident of history. The Governor is of course backed and not unreasonably in this general attitude by his hierarchy of officials many of whom have spent their lives in Hong Kong. discussion with them it emerged that in many ways they were representatives of Hong Kong first and British second. The appointment of a high ranking British Government representative in Hong Kong could be very difficult. The Chinese could draw unwelcome conclusions for Hong Kong's status as a Colony. But the present situation is unsatic- factory, and some compromise might be found. It is hard to expect the present Governor or his successor to respect two loyalties which can be - and in the case of the British EEC candidature are in conflict.
In
Салама
(c. c. c. Tickell)
30 September, 1970.
Copied to:
Private Secretary
Miss Deas
Mr. Daunt
Sir C. O'Neill
Sir L. Monson
Mr. Bottomley
Mr. Ford
CON
Mr. Laird
Mr. Robinson
Mr. Statham
Mr. Hanbury-Tenison
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