TNAG-0006-FCO40-42-Constitutional-development-1968 — Page 46

14.

KEP.

#12

COUNTER REGISTRATION

CONFIDENTIAL

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Cypher

D. 18th March 1967 R. 18th

曾肇

04.40 hrs.

རྣམ་

1967

น

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 53 2C MARIver

2

PRIORITY CONFIDENTIAL No.355

Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.) Repeated Peking No.123 (Please pass)

11

The two leading Hong Kong left-wing papers of 17th March devoted much attention to an alleged "plot to turn Hong Kong into a country". The argument is that although Hong Kong is in every respect a part of the territories of China, a number of persons, notably the "British authorities in Hong Kong" have lately been claiming Hong Kong as a "country". Examples by the papers given

are:-

plot

2.

(a)

an official statement in the Legislative Council discussion on the Bill establishing the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation that "Hong Kong would be the 25th country" provided with such facilities;

(b) alleged statements attributed to you in your

interview with Radio Hong Kong and your press conference during your recent visit here that "Hong Kong....might be said to be a small country as it had a population of nearly four million", and that "Hong Kong has already attained the qualification for becoming a small state";

(c)

(a)

(e)

Hong Kong participation in many international fairs, e.g. the 1964 Trade Fair in Milan, as a "country";

references by unofficial members in the Legislative Council budget debate to Hong Kong "as a country" and to Hong Kong residents as "nationals";

references during 1966 by the "Soviet Revisionists" to Hong Kong as a country in international meetings of textile and garments workers and international plantation workers.

The papers comment that there is a "serious political behind all this; the aim is to reject the right of China to claim her sovereignty over Hong Kong. There is a link with U. S. imperialist intrigue to put their hands on Hong Kong and to turn Hong Kong into one of their bases for aggression; and "with the plot against China planned jointly by the U.S. and the Soviet Revisionists", "No-one should attempt to create a so-called country in any part of Hong Kong and no-one could ever succeed

/in

pi) 60

CONFIDENTIAL