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PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 1432462
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 35 OF 14TH JANUARY 1972.
DESKDY Ø930Z/14
A.1.P.7.
DRAFT SPEECH.
Wilf (25)
DRAFT SPEECH BY SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE CITY HALL ON 14TH
FEBRUARY.
1. SINCE VISITS BY BRITISH SECRETARIES OF STATE TO HONG KONG AND
RARE, LET ME EXPLAIN WHY I AM HERE AND WHAT IS MY RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR AFFAIRS, IN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IT IS I WHO HAVE THE PRIMAI
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG. IT IS TO ME THAT YOUR GOVERNOR. PEVOGT.
WHEN AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS HONG KONG COMES TO THE BRITISH CABINET
IT IS I WHO PLEADS YOUR CAUSE,
2. BUT I AM ALSO PRESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE EXTERNAL RELATIONS OF
THE UNITED KINGDOM. AND I WANT FIRST TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT TWO
OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS WHICH I CONSIDER AMONG THE NOCT
IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME, THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND THE THE SEATING OF CHINA IN THE U.N.
BOTH OF THESE ARE OF THE GREATEST CIGNIFICANCE TO HONG KONG.
3. OUR TREATY OF ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY I
JUST BEEN SIGNED, AND WE WILL BE FULL MEMBERS IN UNDER A YEAR.
IN THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR ENTRY VE KEPT HI THE CLOSEST TOUCH WITH
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND FOUGHT HARD FOR HONG KONG'S
INTERESTS, AND WITH WHAT I HOPE WILL TURN OUT TO BE PRETTY
SATISFACTORY RESULTS FOR H.K. I AM SURE THAT IN THIS RESPECT YOU
HAVE LITTLE TO FEAR FROM THE FUTURE. WE EXPECT THAT WITHIN THE
COMMON MARKET. THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN DRITAIN WILL EXPAND
DRAMATICALLY, THIS WILL BE MUCH TO YOUR ADVANTAGE, SECONDLY, A
WE HAVE A TRADITION OF LIBERAL TRADING POLICIES AND WILL TAKE ALT
TRADITION INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH US. YOUR TEXTILE MANUFACTURERC FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD HAVE FEW PROBLEMS IF OTHER READERS COUNTRIES OF THE SLAMUNITY WERE TO IMPORT AS HIGH A PROPORTION OF THE 19
TEXTILES AS DOES THE UNITED KINGDO
CONFIDENTIAL
SECONDLY, LIBERAL TRADING, POLICIES GENERALLY
BEST,
ANO
INTERESTS
PURSUE
THOSE
COMMUNITY.
POLICIES
A. AS
Serve
OUR NATIONAL
WE WILL HAUE
EVERY
INCENTIVE
WHEN
WE
ARE
TEM BERS
OF
THE