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extent, need to be covert and he would not have the acceptance given by the host Government to a member of Chancery. Further, this post, because of its unique nature, should properly be occupied by an officer with the experience expected of not
less than a Counsellor. As the SBTC is a Counsellor it would
be difficult to put an officer of the same grade, who might indeed be senior to him, on his staff.
c) That a unit be established within Hong Kong Department
to carry out the functions of a Chancery. This would not be an ideal solution, but if solution (d) below is not possible, then it would be a possible second best. However, it would only work if members of the "Chancery" were able to visit Hong Kong frequently and regularly, to see all visitors from Hong Kong, and to have time to see and analyse all reporting from and by Hong Kong.
a) That an officer be appointed to the staff of the Governor to act as a reporter on Hong Kong. Such an appointment would call for a good deal of good faith and tact on the part of the officer appointed and of the officers of the Hong Kong Government with whom he would be in constant contact. However,
he would be in the centre of Governmental activity and even though officials of the Hong Kong Government would naturally and properly keep from him details of matters in which they might be actually or potentially in conflict with the British Government; he would be better placed to report on Hong Kong affairs than the suggested appointments set out in (b) and (c) above. There would be a further advantage in such an appointment; an officer so appointed could act as an adviser to the Governor on British political and parliamentary interest in Hong Kong as his present Political Adviser acts in relation to Chinese affairs. This second Political Adviser
would need to be fed from here with information and advice
on political trends affecting Hong Kong.
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