Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top-Scaret.
Sceret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Uficlassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
„In Confidence
DRAFT BRIEF
To:-
Type 1 +
FROM
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
སའི་ མི་ི ིམས་
8.1. 73
POLITICAL BACKGROUND
1. Hong Kong is a Crown Colony administered by the
Governor with the assistance of Executive and
Legislative Councils. There is no elected element
on these bodies, all the members of which are either
Government Officials or Unofficial Members nominated
by the Governor.
The attitude of the Chinese
Government precludes progress towards self-
government.
2.
rant
The improvement in Sino/British relations has
had a beneficial effect on stability and confidence
in Hong Kong.
ECONOMIC POSITION
1971
entity
3. Hong Kong is a major industrial power in her
own right. Her international visible trade amounted
to some £2,337 million in 1971 (latest figures
available). Her main exports are textiles and made-
up garments. The Gross Domestic Product rose by 17%
in 1972/73 to HK$ 23,000 million and is estimated to
rise by the same percentage in the year 1973/74.
4.
Historically Hong Kong has always bed a
laissez-faire economy with a minimum of government
interference. Hong Kong has no natural resources
/apart
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