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AMENDMENTS TO HONG KONG LONG TERM STUDY
(Amendments by Torean Office to draft Reg
B Paragraph 18 Political (Redraft)
16
Hong Kong is of political benefit to us as a Free World
enclave on the mainland of China. The continued influx of
refugees from China demonstrates that a free capitalist society,
even, of necessity, without representative government is
preferable to many Chinese to the communist society of China.
The loss of Hong Kong to China would be a severe blow to Free
World prestige in Asia and would correspondingly boost China's
prestige particularly among the overseas Chinese in South East
Asia.
Paragraph 21 (Redraft)
Our position in Hong Kong is an impediment to the develop-
ment of better relations with China. The attack on our Mission
in Peking was the direct result of our failure to comply with a
Chinese ultimatum on the treatment of communist press representa-
tives in Hong Kong. Recent exchanges with the Chinese suggests
that members of the British Mission and also possibly other
British subjects in China are being held as hostages by the
Chinese in order to try to secure a change in our policy of
firmness in Hong Kong.
C Paragraph 2 (Redraft).
Hong Kong in our hands is of considerable economic value
to China but its contribution to China's economy is clearly not
indispensable and as the economy develops its importance as an
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