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and in taking the initiative to leave Hong Kong are examined below.
Remaining in Hong Kong
26.
The administration of Hong Kong lays HMG open to criticism:
a) from Hong Kong itself. Since full representative government
is impossible, Ministers have to answer petitions and
complaints covering the whole range of government. There
are also risks of disagreement between HMG and the Government
of Hong Kong itself, for instance over trade policy.
Moreover, so long as we are responsible the potential problem
will remain of large numbers pressing at some stage for
admission to the United Kingdom.
b)
In Parliament. As in (a), Ministers are answerable for
a range of detailed matters in which they are not directly
involved. Within the United Kingdom reluctance to hang
on to our last major colony may grow" -
27. In addition, Hong Kong represents a continuing defence commitment.
The United Kingdom's possession of territory in a sensitive area
increases the risk of our involvement in international disputes. Above
all, there is a constant danger of friction with China on border and
other questions against which our present good relations with Peking
cannot provide a permanent insurance.
28. These are not at present major problems. But if confidence in
the territory began to slip as a result of serious recession, or
failure to reach an understanding in the future with China, and the
economy failed the problems of government of the colony could assume
very serious proportions.
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