TNAG-0100-FCO40-136-Hong-Kong-royal-visits-1968 — Page 65

心

15.67.

(FD 22/2)

(9)

CONFIDENTIAL

1681

? File has not

jet returned from Prince Attica

Dear Caminara,

AG 47.

Foreign Office

S.W.1

25 April, 1967

18

In my letter to Bunny Carter, FD 22/2 of 8 March, I said

I would let him know when we had obtained Donald Hopson's views on the Governor of Hong Kong's suggestion of a possible visit by The Queen to the Colony in 1968 to open the Plover Cove Water Scheme. We have now received Hopson's views in his letter of 29 March, a copy of which I enclose.

2. You will see that, although accepting that there are risks that the Chinese might regard a visit by The Queen to Hong Kong as a provocation, Hopson rates this risk rather lower than did both his predecessor and ourselves. He therefore feels that we should not advise against a visit by The Queen to Hong Kong as suggested by the Governor.

3. Hopson may well be right. The difficulty is, however, that we cannot be certain. He suggests various steps we might take to reduce the risk still further. I gather that it would be possible to reduce the crucial period between the announcement of the visit and its actually taking place to something like three to four months. This would certainly reduce what is perhaps the main risk, i.e. that as soon as news of the visit becomes known the Chinese might well decide to use it as a means of exerting pressure on us. This might cause us to cancel the visit, which would result in a considerable loss of face for us in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

4.

I understand, however, that at the meeting of the Royal Visits Committee on 7 April, it was noted in discussion that, for reasons of security, Hong Kong should not be included in the proposed visit to South East Asia early next year. I take it that this view will be sustained and that there will, therefore, be no question of The Queen's making a separate visit to Hong Kong towards the end of 1968 to open the Plover Cove Water Scheme.

5.

In view of this and of the situation in China, whose outcome is quite unpredictable at this stage, there seems to be no need for us to take a firm decision now about the desirability of The Queen visiting Hong Kong after 1968. If The Queen were to do so, the time would probably be when she visits Japan, which we are at present considering and which will not be before 1969 at the earliest. We shall then have to look again very carefully at the pros and cons of such a visit in the light of the then current situation in China.

6.

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63

26 APR:96/

I am sending a copy of this letter, without enclosure, p Donald Hopson in Peking.

LAST

REF.

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REF.

A. W. Gaminara, Esq.,

9

HWD22/13 Commonwealth office.

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CONFIDENTIAL