CONFIDENTIAL
Brief No. 2
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG
FEBRUARY 1972
RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG
AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
(DEFENSIVE)
POINTS TO BE MADE IN DISCUSSION WITH UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF
EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS
(1)
(2)
By any normal standards the people of Hong Kong would
be well able to manage their own affairs. At the
same time informed opinion in the Colony realises
that because of China there can be no progress towards
self-government, with all that that would involve.
The Secretary of State has a constitutional
responsibility to Parliament for the administration
of Hong Kong. Although we have no desire whatever to
intervene unnecessarily in the affairs of the
Colony we cannot ignore this responsibility;
nor can we deny Members of Parliament their right
to interest themselves in Hong Kong's affairs.
many Members of Parliament have the interests of
Hong Kong very much at heart.
Indeed
(3) This state of affairs understandably proves irksome to
Hong Kong at times but it cannot be accepted that the
situation in general operates to Hong Kong's disadvan-
tage.
Indeed it would not be unreasonable to say
that the basic overseas confidence in the Colony's
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CONFIDENTIAL
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