TNAG-0041-FCO40-77-Future-Sovereignty-of-Hong-Kong-Defence-Review-Working-Party-1967 — Page 139

this the Chinese mean that they are prepared for the time being to tolerate Britain's retention of the territory provided it is not used in a way inimical to their interests and position, both in the short and long term. Informal Chinese warnings have indicated ways in which we might be regarded as altering the "status quo" e.g. by the abdication of our responsibilities through constitutional advancement of the territory,(by permitting the Americana to use it as a base in

the Vietnam war,

13.

Chinese foreign policy is essentially pragmatic. Provided

that its control remains in the hands of a strong central administration, it is to be expected that no move for the recovery of Hong Kong will be made while the Colony, in our possession, continues to be valuable to them. But if the Colony acts, develops or is used in a way inimical to major Chinese interests, we could not be sure that economic considerations or fear of an American reaction would prevail. And if they see us preparing to abandon our interests there, they

Through their influence over will move quickly to take our place.

labour and other organisations, they could at any time cause serious disturbances in Hong Kong, which would serve as a pretext for inter- vention for the purpose of restoring order. This, rather than frontal attack, is likely to be the means by which they would proceed to take

possession of the territory.

Future of Hong Kong

14. The Chinese attitude towards the Colony precludes taking any steps which imply that Hong Kong could have a future other than reincorporation with China. To ignore that attitude would be likely to precipitate Chinese demands for the return of the Colony. It is therefore not possible to set the Colony along the normal progression towards self-government and independence, goals that are both irreconcilable with Chinese claims to the territory; nor would China accept any attempt by us, through the United Nations (of which it is not a member), to find some separate "international" status for the Colony.

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