TNAG-0528-FCO40-623-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 12

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr O'Keeffe, HKIOD

BRIEFING FOR SIR M PALLISER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

1.

I am most grateful for the briefing which you provided under cover of your minute of 22 September to me. Sir Michael Palliser has now worked on it, and is in general very content with it. He has however asked if you could provide him with a brief supplementary note on two points.

2.

a.

b.

First, it is implicit throughout your briefs, but nowhere clearly stated, that our position in Hong Kong is of considerable benefit to this country. However Sir M Palliser has noted that our balance of trade with Hong Kong is substantially and increasingly in our disfavour. He would be grateful to know whether, and to what extent, this unfavourable balance on visible trade is compensated for in invisible transactions; and

Sir M Palliser has noted that we have a contingent immigration liability in respect of more than 2 million British subjects of Chinese origin. He would like to know how Hong Kong nationals

of Chinese origin obtain their citizenship, whether the number doing so is increasing, and if so at what rate.

&

I am sorry to have to ask for an answer to these questions by close of play tomorrow 2 October.

1 October 1975

CONFIDENTIAL

Juken.

J O Kerr