TNAG-0025-FCO40-61-Relations-with-other-countries-in-South-East-Asia-1968 — Page 26

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 633

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63

20 MAY 1968

TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

20 MAY 1968

[adw. H. R-Dpt.]

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDRESSED 'PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 238 OF 20TH MAY REPEATED

CO, PA SINGAPORE, AND HC KUALA LUMPUR.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 321.

Ни

p.a.

29/5

I MADE NO STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS IN KUALA LUMPUR. IN SINGAPORE

تے

I WAS ASKED (INTER ALIA) WHEN HONG KONG WOULD BECOME INDEPENDANT.

IN REPLY, I REFERRED TO STATEMENTS MADE IN PARLIAMENT BY

MINISTERS POINTING OUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF CONSTITUTIONAL

ADVANCE IN HONG KONG ARISING FROMHONG KONG'S PECULIAR POSITION.

ORTHONG

I WAS ASKED 'DOES THIS MEAN HONG KONG WILL NEVER BE INDEPENDANT?'

AND REPLIED 'NEVER IS A LONG WOR. CERTAINLY NOT IN MY TIME.' IN

RESPONSE TO FURTHER PRESSING I SAID SOME THING TO THE EFFECT

THAT IF HONG KONG HAD BEEN A FURTHER 100 MILES OUT TO SEA,

SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE BEFORE.

2. ABOVE.IS TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION AND IT WAS FAIRLY

THAS

CLEAR REPORTERS PRESENT WERE UNLIKELY TO GRASP FULLY ANYTHING SAID TO

THEM. SINGAPORE MAY BE ABLE TO ELABORATE FURTHER FROM RECOLLECTION

OF OFFICERS PRESENT AT INTERVIEW.

FO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING AS MYTEL 238, AND PRIORITY HC

KUALA LUMPUR AS MYTEL 10.

(Repeatnil as requested !

Jopt 17 x

Files

Co. H.K. Det!

F. E. P.

나

RREGFIZED IN ARCHIVESTA 63

حمة الله

HWD

2

p.a.