DRAFT
CONFIDENTIAL
SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE MANDARIN HOTEL ON
14 FEBRUARY 1972
I am very sorry that I have not been able to pay an earlier
visit to Hong Kong. Now that I have managed/to get here
and to see this splendid city again let me gay how delighted
I am to be with you. I should like to begin by saying
something about how Hong Kong's affairs are viewed in the
United Kingdom and more particularly about my own relationship
with those affairs.
There
2. In Britain Hong Kong is now very much on the map.
are a number of Government departments, in addition to the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,/ which have a specific interest
in what is going on here. But I have a special relationship
with you since as Foreign and/Commonwealth Secretary I have
the functions previously held by the Secretary of State for
the Colonies and am the Minister directly responsible for
Hong Kong. It is to me that your Governor reports when an
issue that affects your interests needs to be brought to the
attention of the British Government. It is I who present
your case to Ministers collectively, and I can give you a personal assurance that whenever that happens those interests
are given most close and sympathetic consideration.
3.
of course, also answerable to Parliament on your
account. There is a group of Members of Parliament who are
constantly active on your behalf and I, and my colleagues, have
teady
to answer a steady stream of letters and questions about Hong
Kong.
These are mostly about social and industrial problems,
but also about the growth of your industry and the competition
I am glad to say that the tendency of these
which it offers.
it
CONFIDENTIAL
/questions
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