GR 350
IMMEDIATE
EN CLAIR
RECEIVED WI
REGISTRY NO. 51
FM HONG KONG Ø80210Z
8 JUL1976
UNCLASSIFIED
NKK акк 400/5х8
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 686 OF 8 JULY
PLA
19
TOP CO
ст
Cinued & HILIL 350/525/6 Visit of Kaistory Assoc:
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FOR O'KEEFFE FROM FORD.
20)
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SCMP TODAY
UNDER THE HEADLINE ''GOVERNOR LIKELY TO STAY ON'':
''A DELEGATION REPRESENTING KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS RETURNED FROM
LONDON YESTERDAY WITH A HINT FROM THE BRITISH FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE THAT THE TERM OF OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WILL BE EXTENDED BEYOND HIS SCHEDULED RETIREMENT IN OCTOBER, NEXT YEAR.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DELEGATION, MR. SO CHING, TOGETHER WITH HIS COLLEAGUES SAID THIS AT AN AIRPORT PRESS CONFERENCE.
MR. SO SAID THE SUBJECT OF THE GOVERNOR'S TERM OF OFFICE WAS
RAISED WHEN THE DELEGATION HAD TALKS WITH THE HEAD OF THE HONGKONG
AND INDIAN OCEAN DEPARTMENT OF THE FOREIGN OFFICE, MR. P.L. O'KEEFFE
THE KAIFONG DELEGATION ASKED THAT THE GOVERNOR'S TERM OF OFFICE
BE EXTENDED TILL HE IS 65 YEARS OF AGE.
TO THIS MR. O'KEEFFE HAD REPLIED THAT THE QUEEN AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SHARED THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONGKONG ON THE MERITS
OF THE GOVERNOR STAYING ON FOR A FURTHER TERM OF OFFICE.
THE IMPRESSION THE DELEGATION OBTAINED WAS THAT THE FOREIGN
CFFICE WAS IN FAVOUR OF SIR MURRAY'S TERM OF OFFICE BEING EXTENDED.
UNDER PRESENT FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE REGULATIONS, THE GOVERNOR RETIRES AS THE AGE OF 60. BUT IT IS UNDERSTOOD AN
EXTENSION COULD BE GRANTED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
MEANWHILE, SIR MURRAY LEFT LAST MIGHT FOR A TWO-WEEK VISIT
TO BRITAIN.
/HE WILL SPEND