TNAG-0529-FCO40-624-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 19

M. O'Keeffe

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Reference.........

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DIRET WHITE PAPER ON FOREIGN POLICY:

REFERENCES TO HONG KONG

1. I attach a draft minute in reply to Mr Lewis's of 12 November suggesting revised wording on Hong Kong. This is in part borrowed from paragraph 5 of the speaking note for the briefing of the Defence and External Affairs Sub-Committee on 11 november.

2. think wording on Hong Kong along the lines suggested will do for the White Paper. In other contexts, however, there might be a case for using the point about most of the territory which goes by the name of Hong Kong being on lease from China. This factor serves to distinguish Hong Kong from other remaining dependent territories in a way which a simple reference to Chinese claim to sovereignty does not do. If the argument were to be that Hong Kong cannot proceed to internal self-government and independence because the territory is claimed by an outside power the circumstances would not be different from those applying in the case of Gibraltar, Belize and the Falkland Islands. In short, I think the point about the lease on the New Territories is quite important in explain- ing the peculiarity of Hong Kong's position. As I have said, I do not think, on reflection that it needs to be mentioned in the sort of general statement envisaged in the White Paper and it would probably be better to omit any reference at all to China in that particular context.

12 November 1975

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D F MILTON

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean

Department