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policies and attitudes f the Government was
likely in the period under review,
It seemed
likely that they would do everything to make
relinquishment by us ad our responsibility as
difficult and humiliating as possible.
The
effect might thus be that H.M.G. would be faced
with a situation in which, even if they wished to
hand Hong Kong back to China before 1997, they
would be unable to do so. They might even be
involved in continuing to administer the
Colony in circumstances similar to those
obtaining in Macao today. Moreover, if H.M.G.
were to succeed in divesting themselves of
responsibility for ruling Hong Kong, they might
find that this would involve the abandonment to
an unfriendly Communist régime of millions of
non-Communists of Chinese race (of whom about
two millions are, or could claim to be,
citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies),
for whom evacuation would be impossible even if
a possible destination for them could be found.
4. To sum up therefore the dilemma which faces
H.M.G. if a decision should be taken to pull out
of Hong Kong prematurely is either
(a) that the Chinese Government let us
do so and some millions of British
cif
s and protected persons are
abandoned to Communism;
or
(b) that the Chinese do not let us do so
and the Government of Hong Kong will
be obliged to continue to rule but to
obey Chinese dictates and be utterly
humiliated.
It is, of course, a fact that the same situation
could occur at the end of the lease of the New
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