takes separate
I'm tims of British interests
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
Prime Minister
Type 1 +
FROM
Secretary of State
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
Copy to:
Chancellor of
the Exchequer
S of S DTI
Home Secretary
Minister of T and C A
S of S Defence
China are
even beel. Inside
the Colony the Acces from exprony is loud and sa handing very fast! and then
The new Govenor has made a good start in develop's How Kors into a place where the ordinary people wish to live and work.
2.1
scened about the
The problems need not be ovestressed. Official stations are
good and the people in Hong Kong satt
look to Britain.
1.
Knowing your interest in the affairs of Hong
write to give you account or the situation Kong I want to bring to your attention the broad there and of the implications for our interests. On the problem of our rolérigns with the Colony wiTZE U where the colony in doing well. The Crucial relations with
hope that I may
may have
support and that of
colleagues generally in dealing with a whole range
affecting N of issues
our various Departmente end
in which the United Kingdom and trong Kong interests
have to be balanced in deciding
be pursued.
IT the
bat policies should
3
Discussions
have
which I have had with the Governor recently whieb
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 interests 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 HHG to fulfil the
wording of Article 73 of the UN Charter that as an
dministering power we should recognise the interests
Of the peoples of our dependent territories as
paramount. While we obviously cannot ignore our own
diret
*
interests, it seems to me that we must accept the
responsibility of striking a fair balance between
But there am amas of stan,
CONFIDENTIAL
/them
ars is from the fact that Hay kong is a modem industiral society in its own
right, but without any hope of constitutional advance.
Han scent case of that pass
the bestna orders, It is to
British into
But
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897430 100 Tz/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 7500 400m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863