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5.
Government in China, or if China should fall into a state of anarchy. In the first case we should have no option; in the second no one with whom to discuss Hong Kong's future.
Course 4 (b) Prepare a vauntary and negotiated
withdrawal without delay7.
Nothing would be possible pending a change of Government inside China. Once a Government
which seemed amenable was in power a negotiation might still prove impossible because
(a) the Chinese wanted to have their cale
and eat it by making us continue to administer Hong Kong under their
control;
(b)
their conditions were so humiliating as to be intolerable;
(c)
the Chinese preferred to continue to obtain the economic benefits of
our administration;
(a)
it was clear that Hong Kong opinion would not accept a negotiated with- drawal whatever H.M.G.'s intentions
were;
(e) political feeling within the
Conservative party, and indeed in
as a usage
La
this country, might not permit it.
Course 4 (c)(i) Negotiation for an orderly
British withdrawal in 1997
Subject to the existence of a Government in China with which negotiation seemed feasible it might still be impossible to reach agree- ment for the reasons given under course l(b). The outcome might additionally be humiliating expulsion from the whole Colony in 1997 at the expiry of the lease. If it became apparent that we were abbombing to negotiate and being reburred the effect on confidence might be catastro- phic. Alternatively it might become clear
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