54147/47/See
(W 4311/592/G)
SECRET
H. Kong
Received 5:30
pu
30
19/6/47.
Foreign Office,
138
17th June, 1947.
S.W.1.
(29)
(28)
Dear Gloyd
Thank you for your letter of the 29th May about the re-establishment of Hong Kong University.
I agree to your informing Crombie, in reply to his letter of the 9th May, that although it is not politic to say so publicly at the present juncture, it is the policy of our two departments that the position of His Majesty's Government in Hong Kong should be indefinitely sustained. At the same time, I think it would strengthen the case for giving support to Hong Kong University to add that, if we were in fact ever compelled to yield up Hong Kong, the existence of a University already established there would in our view continue to serve the main purpose of maintaining British influence and prestige in that part of the world, and that indeed any change in the status of the Colony might increase, not decrease, the value of a University.
In agreeing to a reply on this lines, I think I should make it clear that the Foreign Office view is of course without prejudice to a decision on policy, which I presume would have to be taken at Cabinet level, and in particular should not be regarded as committing us one way or the other on the airfield project, regarding which Jour view remains as stated in the third paragraph of Mr.
Su 30 A4 B Bevin's letter to Mr. Creech Jones of the 25th February.
а
Sir Thomas Lloyd, K. C.M.G.,
Colonial Office.
fgZargent
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