TNAG-0568-FCO40-701-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 29

香港總督府

Sir,

SECRET

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

6th March 1976

HONG KONG DOMESTIC POLICIES UP TO THE '80s

This despatch describes the objectives and content of the social, economic and political plans of the Hong Kong Government up to the '80s. It is very long because of the size of the subject. The essentials of the problem and of what is already being done and of what is proposed to solve it, are set out in paras. 2 to 6, and are expanded in subsequent paragraphs. prospects of their political viability are discussed in paras. 43 to 49.

THE PROBLEM

2.

The

H.M.G.'s policy is to administer Hong Kong in the interests of the people of Hong Kong. The circumstances of the Colony impose both priorities and limitations on policy options:-

a) the special position of China, and the absence of any possibility of normal progress to either an elected government or independence.

b) The deficiencies in social and economic infrastructure resulting from the quadrupling of the population in the last 25 years.

c) Total dependence of the economy on exports.

d) The need to maintain a comparatively low tax structure to retain, attract and

encourage a high rate of investment to maintain

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JAMES CALLAGHAN, M.P.