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annexed to those instruments, making it clear that her responsi-
bilities for her Dependent Territories would be unaffected by
accession. Hong Kong officials explained that they would be
particularly interested in the possibility of such a declar-
ation being made in the event that it was decided not to seek
special arrangements for Hong Kong. In such a case, Hong Kong
would be the only Dependent Territory for which nothing
specific was being sought from the Six. All the others would
be covered by our requests for Association and/or for special
arrangements for Commonwealth sugar; this would be likely to
make a bad impression in Hong Kong and lead to a dangerous
decline in morale. A unilateral declaration by H.M.G. on the
lines proposed would be helpful. Hong Kong officials made it
clear that they would prefer a declaration relating to
Dependent Territories generally to one specifically referring
to Hong Kong. The latter would draw attention to Hong Kong,
which by definition would be something we were trying to avoid
in the context of our negotiations with the Six, and which we
always tried to avoid in the context of our relations with
China.
36. The point was made to Hong Kong officials in the first
round of consultations that, if a declaration should in the
event be agreed to be necessary, it would be much easier for
us, and also more in line with our usual constitutional
practice and procedure, if it could take the form, not of a
declaration attached to the instruments providing for our
accession, but rather of a statement in Parliament. There was
no reason why something on the lines suggested should not be
said in reply to an inspired question at about the time of
signature of the accession treaty. If it were made in that
way, it would not have to be discussed and agreed with the Six
in advance; it clearly would, if it were made in the way the
Hong Kong Delegation had suggested.
We should press these
/points
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