CONFIDENTIAL
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Origiaal 2:HK) The Copy for: HKL Os
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RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HELD IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ON WEDNESDAY, 21 JULY 1976
Present:
Lord Goronwy-Roberts
Mr Cortazzi
Mr Larmour Mr O'Keeffe
Mr Stewart
Mr Hurst
Mr Smith
Mr Galsworthy
Mr Milton, HKD
Sir M MacLehose·
PLANNING PAPER: GENERAL
1. Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that he wished to confirm to the Governor that HG had had every confidence in his handling of Hong Kong's affairs. He was grateful for the Governor's cooperation in the preparation of the Planning Paper and for his acceptance that the programme contained therein should be implemented over the next five years.
It represented the minimum which HMG could regard as acceptable. The Planning Paper had not been prepared in response to pressure from left wing opinion in the UK. It was true that there was acute and growing interest in Hong Kong on the part of the TUC and the Labour Party but, so also was there in other sectors of public opinion. He himself found that he was approached by many MPs and others about what was happening in Hong Kong. He did his best to correct mistaken impressions but it was not always easy. The fact was that a consensus had developed among Ministers that the time was right for a further substantial improvement in conditions in Hong Kong. It was necessary to discuss how and at what pace such improvement should take place.
2.
Lord Goronwy-Roberts said he accepted that the plan of action set forth in the Planning Paper was more likely to be acceptable to public opinion in Hong Kong if it were to be presented as the policies and programmes of the Hong Kong Government. However, any delay in the implementation of the programme within the five year time-scale laid down would create very serious difficulties; and he hoped that the need to implement the programme within the agreed time- scale would be accepted by all concerned in Hong Kong.
He saw advantage in an early announcement of the package of reforms provided for in the Planning Paper. It had occurred to him that the Governor's annual address to the Legislative Council at the opening of its new
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CONFIDENTIAL