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re-established British authorities in Hong Kong were instructo to restore "British sovereignty" over the Colony. Subsequently, Foreign Office posts were advised to take the line that, while British possession of Hong Kong needed "no apology or justification" the question of its status should be mentioned as little as possible. This attitude was again reflected in a guidance telegram to Foreign Office posts in July 1964 which advised that 'the question of sovereignty over the leased territories of Hong Kong] is not entirely free from doubt
It is not con-
sidered advisable to make a wholesale denial of the Chinese
claim to sovereignty". The question of the status of Hong Kong was revived in 1972 when the question of answering the letter of 8 March from the Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Secretary-General was under consideration. (This is the letter referred to in Mr Hooley's Question.) One reason why Sir Colin Crowe's eventual reply did not contain a straight- forward assertion of sovereignty was that there were doubts on
this score.
7. It is not therefore possible to provide a clear-cut public statement of HMG's position on the status of Hong Kong that could be sent to Mr Hooley. He might be supplied with an extract from the Report of the Select Committee on Expenditure, quoted in paragraph 2 above. However, he would be entitled to think that this does not, in terms, state that HMG exercises sovereignty over Hong Kong (which, as I said in my submission of 15 November, is, I think, the point that Mr Hooley was seeking to establish with his Question). In view of the uncertainty we
have had about the terms in which it would be correct to describe
our exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and the delicacy of the whole matter vis-à-vis the Chinese, I think it would be better not to seek to add, in writing, to what has already been said to Mr Hooley in answer to his Question. I would therefore recommend against a letter being sent. Mr Luard may wish to have a word in confidence with Mr Hooley about the matter.
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