TNAG-0445-FCO40-510-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 40

Registry

No.

URITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted. Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

DRAFT

MINUTE

To:-

Secretary of State

Type 1 +

FROM

Lord Goronwy-Roberts

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

HONG KONG

1.

I have had good talks with the Governor of Hong Kong on 18 and 20 June. We have gone over all aspects of our administration of the Colony and of Hong Kong's position in the world, especially vis-à-vis China. I am satisfied that we are on the right lines and that, in the Governor we have a man who is doing an outstanding job in developing Hong Kong into a place where the overwhelmingly Chinese. population wish to live and work. There are of course many problems of politics, of social development and of economics. Hong Kong is an anomaly. It is, in effect, a semi-autonomous city st te which, anywhere else, would be independent. But China will not accept any move towards independence. They are content to accept our administration and will make no attempt to take over Hong Kong, at least while Mao and Chou are alive. But they are bound, for the record, to continue to claim that Hong Kong is an integral part of China. The Governor has to work within this frame. He also has to cope with severe over-crowding and social problems arising from the Colony's history. His ten-year social programme, which includes new government housing for almost half the population, is on the right lines, and should be within Hong Kong's capacity to pay for, provided that there is no collapse of world trade.

2.

You will be seeing Sir Murray MacLehose on

24 June.

In the time available, it may not be possible for you to go over the whole of this ground. I would suggest that you might concentrate with him primarily on three questions of current importance. These are

/possible

SECRET