TNAG-0376-FCO40-422-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 27

COLD WATT Dale HUGE HDD17A (1052)

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret,

Confidential,

Restricted,

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

................................................... În Confidence

DRAFT LETTER

To:-

Prime Minister

Type 1 +

FROM

Secretary of State

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

Copy to:

Chancellor of

the Exchequer

S of S DTI

Home Secretary.

Minister of T and C A

S of S Defence

1.

Knowing your interest in the affairs of Hong

Kong I write to give you an account of the situation

there and of the implications for our interests. On

the whole the Colony is doing well. The crucial

relations with China are on an even keel. Inside the

Colony the economy is sound and still expanding very

fast. The new Governor has made a good start in

developing Hong Kong into a place where the ordinary

people wish to live and work.

2. I am, however, concerned about the state of

Hong Kong's relations with Britain, and the impli-

cations of these relations for our interests.

problems need not be overstressed.

The

Official relations

are good and the people in Hong Kong still look to

Britain. But there are areas of strain, arising

from the fact that Hong Kong is a modern industrial

society in its own right, but without any hope of

constitutional advance.

3.

Discussions which I have had with the Governor

recently have,mas, highlighted the indu

which face him at present, because important carei of public opinion in Hong Kong and some of his closest advisers on Executive and Legislative Counci

believe that all too often we ignore Hong Kon

interests in taking policy decisions.

The Gove, an

/5.0 the

CONFIDENTIAL