TNAG-0295-FCO40-331-Long-term-study-of-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 34

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Miss Deas

I said in a separate note I have sent you about the

Conservative Hong Kong Policy Committee that I would be sending

you a separate minute about the Committee's recommendation on

the lease and future of Hong Kong. This is that separate note.

2. We shall "dust off" the review by officials in 1968 on

the future of Hong Kong and let Mr. Royle see our revised version.

The original document was only circulated to a very limited circle

in Whitehall and is only held by the Governor in Hong Kong itself.

The conclusions point to:

3.

I'm not

bein

кадри It i

Ein

keek.

A.R.

(i)

(ii)

overtalen

4.

Our probable ability to hold the present situation

until the latter part of the 70s.

The ultimate object of the policy should be to watch

for opportunities to negotiate a withdrawal from

Hong Kong in circumstances which would preserve our

honour and responsibilities to those who live there.

It was felt that this would be a better solution in

the British interest than a re-negotiation of the

lease itself because (a) there was no prospect of re-

negotiating the lease with any Communist Government

in China and (b) any successor Government in China,

which might be prepared to re-negotiate the lease,

was likely to be of such a kind that we could feel

satisfied that we could honourably hand over our

responsibilities to it.

It will be seen that the report is a pretty hypothetical

We are keeping it under annual review.

document.

c.c. Mr. Wilford.

WBW7 ma

(L. Monson) 10 July, 1970

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