CONFIDENTIAL
Both
important at this time, the enlargement of the European Economic
Community and the seating of China in the United Nations.
of these are of the greatest significance to Hong Kong.
7. Our Treaty of Accession to the European Economic Community
has just been signed, and we will be full members in under a
year. In the negotiations for entry we kept in the closest
touch with the Hong Kong Government and fought hard for Hong
Kong's interests, and with what I hope will turn out to be
pretty satisfactory results for Hong Kong. I am sure that in
this respect you have little to fear for the future. We expect
that within the Common Market the level of economic activity in
Britain will expand dramatically. This will be much to your
advantage.
Secondly, liberal trading policies generally
serve our national interests best, and we will have every incentive
to pursue those policies when we are members of the Community.
8.
As I see it, in the Common Market Hong Kong's interests
are not opposed to those of Britain.
They will be satisfied
by just the same policies as will satisfy Britain's.
9. Now a word about China. Hong Kong is acutely aware of
what goes on in China. Hong Kong has a unique talent for playing
a rôle that offers benefit to all and harm to none.
10.
For my part I welcome unreservedly the seating of the
People's Republic of China in the United Nations. The United
Kingdom was the first western Government to recognise, and
we have for long believed that the facts of international life
required that she should take her rightful place in the Security
General
Council and the Assembly.
3.
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