TNAG-0332-FCO40-368-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 173

EN CLAIR

FM HONG KONG

UNCLASSIFIED

TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO BIS 4 OF 15 FEBRUARY

BIS4/72 CONFERENCE ONE STOP PARA BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY

SIR ALEC DOUGLASHOME GAVE HIS VIEWS ON WIDE

RANGE OF SUBJECTS AT PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY BEFORE

LEAVING HONGKONG STOP PARA HE SPOKE ON BENEFITS OF GOOD RELATIONS

BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND

DISCUSSIONS NOW BEING HELD ON

EXCHANGE AMBASSADORS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES STOP PARA

SIR ALEC DESCRIBED SITUTATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

AS CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO RELIGIONS COMMUNITIES AND REAFFIRMED

THAT NORTHERN IRELAND WAS BRITAINS

RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT UNITED NATIONS WHEN ASKED

WHETHER HE THOUGHUT BRITISH TROOPS SHOULD BE I

WITHDRAWN AND UNITED NATIONS TROOPS SENT THERE

INSTEAD STOP

PARA ON RESUMPTION OF NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS WITH

BENGLADESH HE SAID BRITAIN WOULD DO SO SOONAS IT

COULD BE REESTABLISHED STOP PARA SIR ALEC

ALSO GAVE HIS VIEWS ON RUSSIAN NAVAL BUILDUP IN

INDIAN OCEAN RUSSIAN ESPIONAGE UNDER DIPLOMATIC COVER AND

REWARDS HONGKONG WILL GET WHEN BRITAIN BECOMES

AYE FULL

/MEMBER OF

72