(17260) Dd.897459 400mm 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
(16940) Dd.897300 400m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
-In Confidence
CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT
LETTER
Type 1 +
To:-
Prime Minister
FROM
Secretary of State
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
Copy to:
Chancellor of
the Exchequer
S of S DTI
Home Secretary
Minister of
T and CA
S of S Defence
1.
Knowing your interest in the affairs of Hong
Kong I want to bring to your attention the broad
problem of our relations with the Colony where I
hope that I may have your support and that of our
colleagues generally in dealing with a whole range
of issues which affect our various Departments and
in which the United Kingdom and Hong Kong interest
have to be balanced in deciding what policies should
be pursued. I do so in the light of discussions
which I have had with the Governor recently which
highlighted the difficulties which face him at
present, because important circles of public opinion
in Hong Kong and some of his closest advisers on his
Executive and Legislative Councils believe that all
too often we ignore the Hong Kong interest in taking
policy decisions. The Governor is the channel to
HMG for the hopes and aspirations of the four million
people of Hong Kong who look to HMG to fulfil the
wording of Article 73 of the UN Charter that as an
administering power we should recognise the interests
of the peoples of our dependent territories as
paramount. While we obviously cannot ignore our own
interests, it seems to me that we must accept the
for
responsibility of striking a fair balance between
CONFIDENTIAL
/them