TNAG-0570-FCO40-703-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 71

SECRET

2ND DRAFT

REVISION OF, SECTION V AND VI OF THE HONG KONG PLANNING PAPER

(c) HinG's Interasitional

reputation as the

metropolitan power

but rather less the

Social)

*

V.

INTERNAL POLICY

20. On the above assumption, HMG will continue to be constitutionally responsible for Hong Kong for some ti to come. In discharging this responsibility we must aim. at an administration in Hong Kong which reconciles as far as possible. four rather different requirements:-

(b) The Secretary of State must be able to point to action which meets reasonable criticism from Parliament, the Labour Party and the TUC;

(a)(3)

21...

(d)

the material and social well-being of the people of Hong Kong must be advanced as far as possible;

a maximum degree of economic progress and 'tranquility in the Colony, and international

respect for it, must be achieved during the run-up to the proposed attempt to negotiate about its future with the Chinese in the mid-1980's;

the Chinese must not be given grounds for believing that we are attempting to disturh their interests in Hong Kong by changes in the basic political and economic/characterist of the Colony to which they have become accustomed or which are of importance to them or their followers; a consideration of particular force in the period of uncertaints which has begun in China.

This is

The most obvious field where these requirements can be and should be met is that of industrial legislat In the absence of a normal Trades Union movement, there is a particular obligation on the Hong Kong Government to safeguard the position of wage earners by providing progressive labour legislation, with a strong Commissi of Labour's office and effective conciliation and facto inspectorate services.

The objective should be to

SKOREA

/achieve