TNAG-0225-FCO40-261-Ministerial-meetings-on-internal-affairs-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 42

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PERSONAL and

CONFIDENTIAL

2

were

& that ting always the fully washed when decision on faoliy have to be taken.

interests of the U.K. I should like you to

know that, should such a situationsavise, It

A

would regard it as a particular responsibility

of myself and my Ministerial colleagues in-

this office to see that H.M.G. took that

account of Hong Kong's interests which our

special responsibilities towards Hong Kong

require and that,if on occasion it may be

that we cannot meet you in full, it will

only have been after due consideration at

Ministerial level.

4.

But I am sure that you will agree that,

if we are to be successful in our joint aim

of seeing that Hong Kong ets due credit

for her achievements, it is important

that

we should be seen to be responding to the

needs of a continuingly developing

situation in the Colony.

5.

There are in this connexion three

matters in the social field where an advance

seems to me both possible and important.

4-7

from theend I have in view and I would be

grateful if you could consider them as a

matter of urgency:

(i) Education

I believe that an early announce-

ment of the introduction of compulsory

.

primary education, free of charge,

would do much to improve Hong Kong's

"image" both in this country and

elsewhere. It is my understanding

that such an announcement would also

meet with general approval in the

Colony itself now that a new public

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/assistance