TNAG-0279-FCO40-315-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

İBRIEF No.1.

VISIT OF SECRETARY OF STATE TO HONG KONG

APRIL 1970

HONG KONG STEERING BRIEF

Object of Visit

The Secretary of State will have only forty-eight hours in

Hong Kon. The visit has been included in the tour for two

reasons. First, to give the Secretary of State a rest before

what is expected to be a tiring visit to Japan.

Second, to

enable him to see something of Hong Kong at first hand and to

demonstrate to the people of the Colony both the United Kingdom's

continuing interest in their well being and in particular his own eoncorn with the affairs of Hong Kong. (The Secretary of State

will recall saying in Parliament on 16 October, 1968 "In forming

the new office, we have made curtain that the interests of the

dependent territories will receive the close and sympathetic

attention which our responsibility for them require". Hong

Kong is in size of population by far the largest of the remaining

dependent territories).

2.

There are no points which we wish the Secretary of State

to raise with the Government of Hong Kong. He will, however,

have a full day with the Governor personally at Fan Ling, the

Governor's Lodge in the Now Territories, and will therefore have

an opportunity in quiet and congenial surroundings of gaining an

insight into the problems we face in Hong Kong. He will no doubt

want to take advantage of this to discuss with the Governor personally (i) the succession to the Governorship and

(ii) the "confrontation prisoners"

see Brief No. 3.

/ 3..

CONFIDENTIAL