Government regard it as very much in their interest
that it should be granted.
civil aviation grounds.
10.
But this is opposed here on
There are other points of potential friction. The
negotiations for a Mass Transit Scheme in Hong Kong are
not going well for the British consortium. Strong bids
from the Japanese and others are in the field.
11. All these difficulties are arising at about the
same time. Some of them are inescapable. For example
it was inevitable that UK concerns should override
Hong Kong interests in the recent case of the reprieved
murderer. The same may turn out to be the case of the
death penalty as a whole. But in other questions, in
particular nationality law and air traffic rights, I
believe that Hong Kong's interest could be enough to
sway our own decision. The question of Hong Kong's
partial exclusion from the Community's GSP also needs
further examination. We shall shortly be meeting to
discuss the first of these more delicately balanced
issues.
12. Where I seek your support and what I ark of my
colleagues is that in all matters of these kido
relating to Hong Kong, the Department directly concerned
should remember that JIMG as a whole, have a responsibilthy
For whole
towards the Colony and that we must day to ach
agreement on a courae vhich, fcross the whole
Ich ferons the whole vi
our work, specks to balance the United Kingdom rel kie
Hong Kong interest],
CONFIDENTIAL