unquestionably be noted in Hong Kong. To try to evade the issue on the lines of (b) and (c) above is not likely to satisfy anyone, least of all those in the United Kingdom who would have us put persons of British race in a special category. To my mind the only satisfactory way of dealing with this and meeting the crucial point of maintaining confidence in Hong Kong is a flat and robust denial that we are planning for an evacuation.
9.
I recommend therefore that:
(1)
(ii)
all evacuation planning should be suspended for the time being, a "crash" operation being mounted, if the occasion arises, to evacuate as many vulnerable and
sensitive persons as we can;
we should continue to try to avoid a direct reply to questions about evacuation plans but, if necessary, we should state flatly that we are not planning to evacuate Hong Kong, making the points in paragraph 8(c)
above.
Commonwealth Office, S.W.1.
4th December, 1967.
G.M.T.
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