SECRET
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
8.9 Sir Alec Douglas-Home said Sir Murray MacLehose
had discussed with Mr Royle the possibility of
introducing an elected element into the Hong Kong
legislature. They had decided that there could be
no question of this at the present time. He himself
agreed.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
g.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that he agreed that
Ministers should be asked to consider the range of
points in dispute between Britain and Hong Kong.
Such an overall approach could provide some leverage
in questions where the interest of Hong Kong, if
considered separately, might not prevail. Sir Murray
MacLehose said he agreed, but he did not want to give
an impression of crisis. There were points of
friction, but in general Hong Kong was doing well.
Relations between the Hong Kong Government and the
FCO were good, and the public there still looked to
Britain.
HONG KONG AND THE EEC
10. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that it would be
difficult to ask the Community for concessions for
Hong Kong and not for others. He had just had to
refuse to help the Indians. Sir Murray MacLehose
replied that Mr Rippon had put it on record in
Hong Kong, at the time of the negotiations with the
Community, that we could reopen important textiles
questions after entry. The psychological effect of
discrimination by Britain against Hong Kong would be
/serious.
SECRET
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