CONFIDENTIAL
¡
X
THE CHINESE AND BRITISH VIEWS ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG WERE NECESSARILY DIFFERENT, THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMEN WAS SOMETHING ON WHICH WE HOPED TO AVOID A CONFRONTATION. WE ARE CURSELVES KEEN TO AVOID UNNECESSARY FRICTION BY ESCHEWING REFERENCES TO HONG KONG AS A COUNTRY, WHICH IT IS NOT, PREFERRING TO USE QUOTE REGION UNQUOTE OR QUOTE TERRITORY UNQUOTE. BUT WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REFER TO THE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG, QUOTE GOVERNMENT UNQUOTE IS IN ENGLISH THE ONLY APPROPRIATE TERM - A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE IS QUOTE ADMINISTRATION UNQUOTE WHICH MIGHT WELL BE EQUALLY PROVACATIVE.
6. PLEASE SHOW A COPY OF UKMIS NEW YORK TELEGRAM 868 AND THIS TELEGRAM TO SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE.
FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
NO RMAN-WALKER
FILES.
HKIOD
LIND
MR DARSONS
REPEATED
AS REQUESTED
CONFIDENTIA
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON