TNAG-0289-FCO40-325-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 108

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The feeling that Hong Kong is a nuisance to Britain

thus maintaining an official majority.

There are the

usual reservations to the Crown of the power of disallowance

and of the power to legislate by Order in Council for the

peace, order and good government of the Colony.

RELATIONS WITH UNITED KINGDOM

5. 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.

6. 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 having 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 tariffs rather than quotas on

cotton textile imports from the Commonwealth (with effect from

1 January 1972). 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

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