CONFIDENTIAL
j.
Far Eastern Department. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.1
20 December, 1968.
Your letter 25/5 of 2 December raised the question of Her Majesty's Government's policy orHong Kong, I have discussed this question with Hong Kong Department who have provided the enclosed list of ministerial statements made in Parliament on Hong Kong during 1967. I think you will be able to obtain the form of words you require from the statements themselves.
2.
In addition to these statements in Parliament, Lord Shepherd, in a radio talk to the people of Hong Kong in October last year, said "....but I must make it clear that we cannot consider any abdication of our authority and responsibilities in Hong Kong. I repeat the assurances that I gave when I came to Hong Kong. This is the determination of Her Majesty's Government and the British people to support and sustain the colony of Hong Kong".
3. So far as the long term future of the colony is concerned (i.e. when the of the new territories expires in 1997) we usually take the line in response to enquiries on this point that it is impossible to forecast what the situation will be in some thirty years time. Indeed the rashness of making such a forecast is by no means confined to the case of Hong Kong.
G. V. Britten, Esq., C.B.E.,
British Embassy,
BERNE.
(E. J. Sharland)
K.271.
M. Jamiana to ser
P.A., on main file
ANG
20.127
68.
CONFIDENTIAL
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