TNAG-0116-FCO40-152-Departmental-Briefs-For-Meetings--Visits-and-Foreign-Affairs-1969 — Page 55

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50

RECEIVED IN REGIST.51

28 AUG 1969

HICK 1/19

Mr. Darvall (Guidance Department, E 020)

Article by the Prime Minister for "Britain în Asia" Supplement of the "Far Eastern Review"

The only comment that this department has on the draft enclosed with your minute of 26 August relates to its paragraph 7 at the top of the penultimate page of the draft.

2.

We should like to see this paragraph deleted, at any rate in its relationship to Hong Kong. The atti- tude of the Communist Chinese People's Republic towards Hong Kong rules out any possibility of any progress in the Colony towards self-Government or independence. This remains the case whether or not the people of the Colony desire independence. This particular paragraph would obviously be read in relationship to Hong Kong and

that is why we should like to see it deleted.

3. At the same time, since the headquarters of the "Far Eastern and Economic Review" are in Hong Kong and since Hong Kong is, in terms of economic activity and population, by far the largest of our remaining depen- dent territories, we should like to see some reference to the Colony in the draft, even if only a passing one. Otherwise the Governor might take it amiss. I suggest something on the lines of the following:

"Of those remaining territories in Asia and its adjacent seas for which the United Kingdom retains political responsibility in varying degrees, no one could fail to be impressed by the tremendous economic progress achieved in Hong Kong, where the headquarters of this Review are situated."

However, the above is only a suggestion and the business of fitting something like this into the draft depends rather on any comments made by other departments concerned with the dependent territories in the area. The important thing is to include a reference to the very substantial economic progress achieved in Hong Kong and you will be in a better position to decide how this can most conveniently be done.

4. Indeed, in view of the nature of the "Review", it might be better to avoid any reference to HIG's political responsibility for the territories concerned and confine any comment to the economic sphere.

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Copy to:

(A. W. Gaminara) Hong Kong Department 28 August 1969

S.W.P.D P.1.0.D