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CONFIDENTIAL
China and Hong Kong
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Aw2672
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17. The Chinese have in the past objected to Hong Kong being designated as the "Government of Hong Kong" in the heading of a UN Development Programme document. They have also objected to the use of the word "country" and "territory" to describe Hong Kong in other UN contexts. Nevertheless at the ECAFE meeting in Colombo this year the Chinese themselves suggested the use of the word "territory" to describe Hong Kong, and this is fully acceptable to HMG.
18. We should maintain as low a profile as possible. The delegation should report by telegram any move which the Chinese may make on this question. If the Chinese take up a position more extreme than a simple protest for the record, the Delegation should formally reserve our position and seek immediate instructions.
19. If the Chinese simply protest for the record the UK delegate should circulate a formal rebuttal on the following lines:
"With reference to the statement made by the
Chinese representative, the UK representative wishes to inform the meeting that his Government's views on this question were clearly stated in the letter addressed by Her Majesty's representative in New York to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 14 December 1972."
The text of this letter is attached as paragraph 21.
20.
The UK delegation should if at all possible confine their response to the circulation of a written document, but they may in the last resort speak on these lines.
21. The text of Sir C Crowe's letter of 14 December 1972 to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is:-
"I have the honour to refer to General Assembly Resolution 2906 (XXVII) of 2 November 1972 and in particular to paragraph 3, which approved the report of the Special Committee on the situation with regard to the implementation of the declara- tion on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples covering its work during 1972. My Government have asked me to inform Your Excellency that, in view of paragraph 73 of Chapter 1 of the Report of the Special Committee (A/8723 (Part 1)), they have decided that no use- ful practical purpose would be served by continu- ing to transmit information on Hong Kong under Article 73E of the United Nations Charter. My Government have also asked me to state that the action of the General Assembly in no way affects
the legal status of Hong Kong. The views of my Government about this status are well known. They are unable to accept any differing views which have been expressed or may hereafter be expressed by other governments.
I should be grateful if you would circulate this letter as a General Assembly document.