TNAG-0056-FCO40-92-Evacuation-plan-1967 — Page 37

proposal appears to have been initiated at official level and is It has subject to endorsement by the two Governments concerned. been made quite clear, in reply, that because of their responsi- bility for the Colony and its people, there can be no question of any participation by Her Majesty Government in plans for the evacuation of Hong Kong, and that it is of the utmost importance that the maximum secrecy be observed in any such planning, which

These requirements should not take place in Hong Kong itself.

have been accepted.

'

So

7. The question also arises what we should say publicly on this issue. We have already been asked (in debates in the House of Lords) whether we have plans for the evacuation of Hong Kong.

But we may far we have been able to avoid any direct answer. well be pressed to give one, particularly if there were any leakage of information relating to the limited Australian/United States The dilemma is that planning referred to in paragraph 6 above.

if we say there are no plans, this could lead to a public outcry here in the United Kingdom; while, if we said that plans were being prepared, confidence in Hong Kong would be shattered.

8.

We could perhaps continue to try to avoid giving a direct answer to this question by taking the following lines:-

(a) We could say that we do not disclose such matters (as

Lord Beswick did in the debate in the House of Lords on June 22).

(b) We could stand on our public statements about our

intention to maintain the authority of the Hong Kong Government and to fulfil our responsibilities and obligations to the Colony.

(c% We could infer that the evacuation of Hong Kong was

impracticable, pointing to the fact that there are some two million citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies in Hong Kong to whom our responsibilities extend just as much as they do to the expatriate community of British

race.

But there are difficulties in all three approaches.

To go on

saying that we do not disclose such matters implies that we do in fact have plans, and constant repetition of this theme would

/unquestionably