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(conducted by the Narcotics Bureau of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force
and the Customs and Excise Service) pushes up the price of illicit
drugs, thus inducing addicts to seek treatment under programmes run by
the Prisons Department, the Medical and Health Department and the
Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers. At the same
time, preventive education and publicity are used to help prevent young people from becoming addicts. Hong Kong plays an active part
in international anti-drug action, with especially close links in
South-East Asia, Europe and North America.
SECTION 5: TOPICAL ISSUES (EXTERNAL)
ANGLO-HONG KONG RELATIONS
5.1, While in practice Hong Kong enjoys a considerable degree of
autonomy in the management of its own affairs, particularly in the
commercial, financial and economic sectors, its constitutional and, to
some extent, its political dependence on Britain is accepted. It is
appreciated that without the British connection and its acceptability
to China, Hong Kong in its present form would cease to exist. There is a continuing dialogue between HMG and the Hong Kong Government about
how the two governments should best discharge their responsibilities
for the welfare of the population of Hong Kong, although none of the
many and far-reaching changes that have been made in Hong Kong in recent years have been imposed from London. They have all been made with the agreement, and usually on the initiative, of the Hong Kong
Government. However, it is acknowledged that, where UK interests are
involved, the last word must rest with HMG.
5.2 Some resentment in Hong Kong over what it sees as the UK's
protectionist attitude towards international trade in textiles has
proved an irritant to an otherwise generally excellent relationship.
particular Hong Kong is unhappy about the operation of its bilateral
textiles agreement with the EC, arguing that restrictions imposed on
/imports
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