TNAG-0571-FCO40-704-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 115

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET

primarily because we remain concerned about the attitudes of influential people in Hong Kong towards the plan of action, particularly its fiscal aspects.

2.

We also do not accept that the British information effort should be conducted by the senior British Trade Commissioner. It has long

been understood that the Hong Kong Information Services are primarily responsible for this, which is very much in the Colony's own interests. The Hong Kong Information Services have done some very good work on certain specific issues in British/Hong Kong relations in the past and we understand that it has been agreed to make greater use of the Services' extensive facilities and contacts

in the future.

3. As the Planning Paper explains, experience shows that the Hong Kong Government provides London with a great deal of documentation about its activities but not in a form which permits officials readily to appreciate the thrust of policy on the matters of greatest political concern here. In some important fields indeed, notably that of fiscal affairs, a great deal of essential information about underlying policy is simply not provided. Monitoring of the agreed programme on a set timetable would be very difficult unless there is some change in this state of affairs.

4.

For this reason we are particularly glad there is general agreement on the proposals in para 33 of the Planning Paper for improving the contact between both sides.

THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION

1. The Governor should understand that the Planning Paper was an attempt, for the first time for many years (if ever), to consider policy towards Hong Kong as an integrated whole. It consequently considered the relationship with our largest remaining Colony over a much longer time scale than his own Governorship.

2. We have every confidence in the Governor personally and recognise his success in managing what is inevitably a difficult relationship. He has already done much to make Hong Kong a more acceptable industrial society; and his leadership in such matters as capital punishment (the most difficult local issue) is greatly admired.

6

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET

}