TNAG-0445-FCO40-510-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 26

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the same time, he emphasised that investigations

could not be unduly prolonged. Delay gave rise to problems, and Hong Kong would be alarmed if too much attention was given to pleas from Amnesty International

and others that alternative destinations should be

sought for people who did not already have them.

13.3 Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that Hong Kong's

conduct with regard to the 118 South Vietnamese should be helpful to HMG in defending Hong Kong action in future cases. Especially since (as Sir M Maclehose observed) There were more than half a million Chinese

in Vietnam and several hundred thousand in Cambodia,

a great number of whom might like to come to Hong Kong,

comit be It was Intolerable at Hong Kong should constantly be

pressed by Amnesty International to expend scarce

have

manpower and money on protracted enquiries.

14. The Chinese "Representative"

14.1

Sir M MacLehose believed there should be no

concession on this point unless and until the dangers of continued refusal were even greater than those of concession. The Chinese did not seem to be pushing

particularly strongly: life had already been made a bit easier for China's unofficial delegation in Hong Kong (though without giving it full political

status and powers); and he did not think it was

necessary for HMG or Hong Kong to respond any further to Chinese proposal.

the

14.2

It was suggested that the Chinese had been

genuinely surprised at HMG's refusal to accept a

Chinese representative in Hong Kong following the appointment of Ambassadors in Peking and London.

Nevertheless, Anglo-Chinese relations should be viewed

in the broad world context, and they were not signifi-

cantly affected at present by HMG's continued refusal

to accept official Chinese representation in

Hong Kong.

14.3

further suggested

It was so thought that HMG should not risk

entering into discussions on this subject unless and

until they were prepared to go through with them. The

current Chinese attitude might best be gauged when

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