TNAG-0281-FCO40-317-Visit-of-the-Chancellor-of-the-Duchy-of-Lancaster-to-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 165

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of the "two Chinas" into the conduct of the Colony's

affairs. The Chinese Peoples' Government would not

tolerate this and the outcome might well be a determined

communist bid for control of the institutions of central

Government which could succeed in conditions of electoral

apathy.

The feeling that Hong Kong is a nuisance to Britain

RELATIONS WITH UNITED KINGDOM

6. The combination described above of constitutional

infancy on the one hand and economic sophistication and

adulthood on the other has had a somewhat unfortunate effect

on United Kingdom-Hong Kong relations during the past decade.

7. There has been a growing feeling in Hong Kong that

Britain, so far from being proud of Hong Kong's achievements,

regards the Colony as a nuisance and an impediment. In the

post-war years we left Hong Kong to grapple alone (without

significant financial assistance) with the tremendous

problems posed by the influx of refugees from China. At

the same time we are seen in Hong Kong as baving dealt the

Colony a series of blows to its trade and finances: the

restrictions on its exports of cotton textiles to this

country since 1959, the import surcharge (1964), the increase

in the defence contribution (1966), devaluation (1967), the

import deposit scheme (1968), and the decision to impose

a tariff on cotton textile imports from the Commonwealth (1969).

Our actions are seen as showing a lack of concern for

Hong Kong's interests and for her special problems; as

indicating an indifference to the special ties and

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