Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted, Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT
To:-
Type 1 +
FROM
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
PASSAGE FOR ADDITION TO NOTE ON A PROPOSED SELECT COMMITTEE FOR THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
"The situation in Hong Kong is rather different from the other Dependent Territories. There there is no possibility of development towards independence. Moreover the Legislative Council of Hong Kong has no elected members.
This gives the Secretary of State, and through him, Parliament, a direct responsibility for the good government of the Colony under its existing constitu- tion. But in every other respect Hong Kong is, in effect, a semi autonomous city state, which would certainly be independent but for its geographical position. This makes direct intervention from London as difficult as in any of the other Dependent Territories. The argument for a Select Committee is that it would bridge this gap between responsibility and administration.
But the other main factor is the danger of public and authoritative discussions of the future of Hong Kong. The successful administration of Hong Kong depends absolutely on confidence in the Colony's
future.
tem.
We are not having discussions on this future with the Chinese Government; but a Select Committee might well suggest . Such a proposal from an authoritative parliamentary body would, of itself, cause a crisis of confidence in Hong Kong. itherto Parliament's interest in affairs in Hong Kong has be
/exer
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