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Background
CONFIDENTIAL
Brief No
39
all White
The Chinese Language Issue in Hong Kong
During the past eighteen months a campaign
has been conducted by certain elements in Hong Kong
to secure the recognition of Chinese as an official
language in the colony with a status equal to that
accorded to English. There have been Parliamentary
Questions on the subject and in addition
representations have been made to Ministers and to
the Prime Minister (in April 1971).
These have been
answered by suggesting to the petitioners that they
should make known their views to the Committee which
was set up by the Hong Kong Government in October
1970 to go into the whole question.
2.
This Committee, which was set up under the
chairmanship of Sir Kenneth Ping-fan Fung (a member
of the Executive Council and a leading banker and
business man) has presented four reports to the
Hong Kong Government and, in brief, the position in
relation to these reports is as follows:
First Report (Submitted in February 1971)
This dealt with the provision of simultaneous
interpretation facilities in the Legislative
Council, the Urban Council and official Boards
and Committees. Its recommendations have been
accepted in principle by the Hong Kong Executive
Council and action is being taken to recruit
a cadre of interpreters and provide the
necessary equipment. So far as the Legislative
Council and the Urban Council are concerned,
it is hoped that the system will be in
operation by mid-1972.
/Second
CONFIDENTI AL