SPEAKING
(For Secretary of State's meeting with all farty
Anglo-Hong Kong Committee in ficuse of Commons on
Wednesday 3rd May, 1967).
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
All Members present will know the official line that
Constitution. Owing to the very special
we hare taken in regard
circumstances of the Colony, progress towards self-government or independence is not possible and, in these circumstances, the intro-
duction of elected representatives in the Legislative Council would be insppropriato. The reasons for this policy arise from the attitude of the Goverment of China, which would undoubtedly feel itself obliged
to intervene if steps are taken implying thet Hong Kong sould have future other than reincorporation with China. Elections to Legislative
Council would also import the conflicts between the Chinese Nationalist and Communist regimes to Hong Kong or lead to commandet contre of these
institutions. Our reasons have never been stɛted publicly partly in
deference to our relations with China and partly because in many ways
they so bound up with the security of the Colony that we could not
do so even if we wished to. However nost Members present will be aware
of at least some of them.
2.
To believe that these reasons are valid ones which ar
aocopted by the great majority of persons in Hong Kong. The present
constitutional position has their consent. The mass of the population
with the conduet clearly do not want and do not seek to be associatâd
China has of
of public affairs. Their reasons are not really very difficult to
understand, living in the shadow of a great power whose influence on
their lives and future could be enormous and incalculable.
course made it quite clear that they expect us to retain the reins of
wernment in our own hands as long as we are there. This was stated in the Peking People's Daily on 8th March, 1963. I was myself attacked by
/the
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