O
Political
SECRET
-2-
DSR 11C
British commitment
Ministerial statements etc
Position of Hong Kong population
Citizenship problems
Leases:
Chinese position
Taiwan
Soviet Union etc
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SECTION 3(4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
4.
Hong Kong as a Benefit to the UK
a) Prestige as a well-run colony in a traditionally
turbulent part of the world;
b) adds substance to UK/China relations and gives us
a special position in Peking;
0
d) important trading partner and significant importer
of British capital goods;
e) back door to China;
f) Kai Tak as a bargaining counter in air services
negotiations
g) source of invisible earnings to the UK
h) strategic importance.
)
d), (e) and (g) are not advantages peculiar to the UK but we
probably benefit in these areas from the fact that the
territory is run on British lines.
5. Hong Kong as a Liability to the UK
a) potential major issue of contention with a future
SECRET
/Chinese
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