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apart from your comment in para 7 (c) about the Hong Kong Government's insistence that the Housing Authority should pay its way, some people who have been to Hong Kong regard the Government housing scheme as simply the creation of Government subsidised slums. There are also other problems, e.g. the absence of a minimum wage, the law relating to the employment of minors and many other social areas where Hong Kong lags behind other parts of the world. It may be that by comparison with other countries in Asia, Hong Kong workers are relatively well off. But the UK Government are responsible for Hong Kong and not, for eg Malaysia and the Philippines. My initial impression of Hong Kong as a Dependent Territory is that we have a lot to be ashamed of. 6. Of course there is obviously another side to the case and your predecessor and mine felt that, as Duncan Watson once put it to me, Hong Kong is a "question of confidence" and that if we start moving too fast in the direction of social reform we run the risk of money going elsewhere. This is a risk which, it is said, we cannot afford to take: and it may be that those who take this view are correct.
9
7. I myself am not convinced. At all events, as you say, we have the chance to consider the problem anew in the light of the Secretary of State's proposed visit to Hong Kong this summer. Work has already started on the proposed planning paper on Hong Kong for that visit, but I think we should be prepared to have a fresh look at this problem. We should base ourselves on what is the true British interest. If it is indeed a British interest that conditions in Hong Kong should remain as they are to-day, then so be it. But if not, then we should at least consider whether there are not areas where we could and should do more for the welfare of the mass of the population of Hong Kong and think less of the interests of the Hong Kong establishment.
23 December 1975
Cc:
PS/PUS
Mr Male
Mr Scrivener
Mr Faber
Mr O'Keeffe
Mr Galsworthy
Mr Foggon (with copy of Mr Cortazzi's
minute)
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E N Larmour
Mr Cortazzi
HONG KONG:
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1.
Flag
10
Flag &
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Mr. Corbazzi
Merate to issue
азр
3/12
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the space. I altach a draft-minute
addrerred
to the
Pus and the P
The Pus
BRIEFING FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT
D.F. Millon 23/12
Your note of today's date on Mr Fergusson's minute of 10 December refers. Mr O'Keeffe is on leave until Monday 5 January. Meanwhile, I think you should see the following:
(i) Sir Duncan Watson's note on the top copy of the PUS's
minute of 3 December to the effect that the Governor of Hong Kong is content with the scenario in the PUS's minute, subject to review nearer the time of the idea that he should come home for discussions and also subject to Lord Goronwy-Roberts's agreement;
for
(ii) Mr Galsworthy's minute of 9 December containing Lord
Goronwy-Roberts's comments on the PUS's minute and, in particular, his observation that it is "overriding' Mr Youde and Sir M MacLehose to come home for the briefing; and
(iii)
Sir Duncan Watson's note on (ii) that the Governor should be reminded of the proposed timetable for the briefing and, in particular, of Lord Goronwy-Roberts's agreement to his coming to London for consultations and the need to look for a suitable pretext for another visit next spring.
2. Without wishing to anticipate Mr O'Keeffe's views, my feeling is that the presentational aspects of a visit by the Governor in, say, early April are manageable. The Governor seems to have been in the habit of making a couple of visits to London each year - he was here in April this year - and another one in three or four months' time would not be too much of a departure from his normal practice. In addition, it could be explained that it is not uncommon for the Head of Mission (or equivalent) in a country about to be visited by the Secretary of State to return home for prior consultations. The fact that Mr Wilford is unlikely to be returning could be explained away on the grounds that the Secretary of State "knows Japan" from the regular Anglo-Japanese Ministerial consultations.
3.
This said, I have some doubts whether it is really necessary for the Governor to return. We have had a full run over the ground with him during his current visit and unless there are significant developments in or affecting Hong Kong in the next few months, I wonder whether there will be much new to talk over with him. Perhaps the best thing would be to look at the matter again after the Governor has sent us a "Whither Hong Kong?"-type despatch (para. 2(b) of the PUS's minute). On the other hand, I entirely agree that it would be a good idea if Mr Donald were to be around in connection with briefing the Secretary of State.
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4. Subject to your discussing the matter with Mr O'Keeffe on his return, you may wish to discuss further with the Governor when he calls on you on 8 January (the Department have provisionally arranged a meeting at 11.00 a.m.). The Governor will also be calling on the PUS at 3.30 p.m. on 8 January.
22 December 1975
сс
Mr Larmour
Mr Bentley
Mr O'Keeffe o.r.
D.F. Millen
D F Milton
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
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