TNAG-0278-FCO40-314-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 46

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Mr. Stuart: I hopo vory much this may be so. Of courso WO

ought not to speak in Britain as if all our oconomic difficultios had born

solved for good and all. It is true wo have made rocantly vory considerable

progross, and wo are ablo to think in more optimistic terus now than wo woro,

say, two years ago. So with all propor caution, I think I would agroo with

that statanant.

Mr. Strauss:

Mr. Stowart, again in your own personal opinion, do

you think tho timo is near that Hong Kong should have more of an elected voico

in its own affairs?

Mr. Stewart: Wall, I would hositato vory much to pronounce on this

without a cloaror voice from Hong Kong itself on that.

Mr. Strauss:

Aro you implying that proplo did not speak to you on

that subject?

Mr. Stewart: Well, I'vo both heard and road, of course, opinions

on this subject opinions which are not always the same. I don't think I

ought to bo making, at any rate at this stago, a pronouncement on this.

Mr. Samir Karam: Sir, I would very much like to know your department's

clear idea about tho Israoli's air attacks on Egyptian civilians.

Mr. Stewart: I think wo'vo mado it very clear indood that wo

greatly deploro thoso attacks, as indood, wo deploro any actions that aro in

contravention of the coaso-firo. We believe those are both crual to individuals

and dangerous politically. And hope thoy will stop.

Mr. Loslio Smith (Daily Mirror);

In view of what you've said about

Britain's withdrawal from the Far East. How does that affect the commitment to

defend Hong Kong.

Mr. Stewart: That is unchanged.

And one of the things we made

clear is that one of the responsibilities we still have in the Far East are

responsibilities to British dependencies.

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