that China would soon ask us to hand
these back. Whether we should wait for this,
Safeguards
or ourselves make the offer (subject to figures
about water supply, air fields, etc.) as a matter
which appears to be
of policy and expediency/largely for the
Colonial Office to decide.
on the question on the Secretary for Chinese
Affairs, we are in te agreement with
Colonial
Keswick's suggestion that the Go
with advantage
concern itself
mjht
Government should
more with external, i.e.
Chinese, affairs. We also agree that a Foreign
Service Officer with China experience should be
appointed to serve in Hong Kong for this purpose.
We feel however that such an officer should have a
e
status independant of the Secretary of Chinese
there Affairs, that is to say instead of their being
a "Secretary for Chinese and External Affairs",
to whose department the Embassy representative
would be attached, there should be a Secretary
for Chinese Affairs and a Secretary for External
Affairs, the latter being a Foreign Service
officer, who would be responsible direct to the
Government and also to the Ambassador, reporting
to and corresponding with each as the occasion required.
W
Your nicely
Sgel hall
2|1
MARGIN.
NOTHING
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BE
WRITTEN
IN
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