GODE 18 - 77
Mr Milton
CONFIDENTIAL Reference.
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DFM
HONG KONG: TIMING OF THE GOVERNOR'S NEXT VISIT
1.
Reference Sir Murray MacLehose's letter of 1 March. My first, perhaps instinctive, reaction is to concur with the Governor's intention not to visit London again until November 1977. In general, I feel that the Governor's visits hinder rather than help progress towards smooth relations between HMG and Hong Kong, and what we need now is a long period of undramatic continued lower- level contacts.
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2. It is true that during the last two years the pattern of visits by the Governor every six months has become fairly well- established. However, I consider that the periodicity of these visits was a reaction to and perhaps against the more interventionist policy towards Hong Kong which, although not formally sanctioned by Ministers until early 1976, had become evident before that. my view the Governor's proposal to lengthen the interval between visits is a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that the interven- tionist policy as presently practised is mutually acceptable.
3. Whether the Governor visits London in June/July or not, I assume that the established pattern of visits by all Hong Kong Heads of Departments and senior officers during their annual leave will continue. In my opinion more real business is done during these comparatively low-level visits and they do more towards establishing mutual confidence than do the visits of the Governor which inevitably entail press speculation and general publicity and drama. Furthermore, I shall be visiting Hong Kong in March and on one other occasion during the year. Mr Murray will be there in March and at least one other officer of the Department will go to Hong Kong during 1977.
4.
There is a clear and unequivocal reason suitable for public assumption why the Governor should not be here: it is that during the Jubilee celebrations his place is in Hong Kong.
Of course, the formal celebrations of the Queen's Jubilee in Hong Kong will have already taken place. Nevertheless, the celebrations in Britain
in June will quite certainly be reflected to some extent in Hong Kong. Whether it is necessary for the Governor to be there or not, this story will provide an unanswerable reason to be given to press or other enquirers.
5.
I believe myself that discussion on the budget and on the programme for 1977/8 is better carried out by correspondence than by what has, unfortunately, come to be eyeball confrontation. Certainly such discussion is fairer on the Governor and on the Financial Secretary than the type of inquisitorial process that has been adopted in the past. One final consideration is that, according to the records, Sir M MacLehose has not had more than about two weeks' continuous leave on any occasion since the summer of 1973. He now wants to take two months' leave in the autumn and I consider that we should try to fit in with his wishes.
6.
I believe, therefore, that our submission to Lord Goronwy- Roberts should be balanced but in the end come down with a
CONFIDENTIAL