CONFIDENTIAL
to take in various future contingencies. As regards paragraph 5 of my minute of 17 February, I would not regard what Sir D Trench
said to me as in any way a criticism of Hong Kong Department's assiduity in stressing to other FCO and Whitehall Departments
the need to maintain confidence in Hong Kong. But the plain
fact is that we have taken decisions in the past which, whatever their other merits, must surely have a tendency to
reduce that confidence. I have had a part in some of those
decisions myself and I have no doubt that in future I shall support decisions which will further tend to erode that
confidence, recommending that Hong Kong Department should be overruled in so far as that is necessary. But this surely
does not make it illegitimate for the Governor to take every opportunity of reminding us (me as much as anyone else) of the possible consequences in Hong Kong, of such decisions.
23 February 1971
Gopies to Mr Down
Sir L Monson
Mr Wilford
Ma traind
CONFIDENTIAL
J.R.a.
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JR A Bottomley