TNAG-0573-FCO40-706-Monitoring-of-progress-made-on-planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 36

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S.P.

13.12.76

N.W.M.P.

12.12.76

Thirdly, perhaps the Peking Government appreciates Sir Murray's style. We believe the Chinese authorities would not be too happy to have Labour politician Mr. George Thomson as the next Governor of Hong Kong. The relationship between Hong Kong and China is so close now that Downing Street can not afford not to weigh this political factor carefully.

Fourthly, some of the Governor's closest associates in the Government,

particularly Mr. Denis Bray and Mr. David Ford, will soon be posted abroad and

their successors might be people who have close and direct links with London. This would mean that Sir Murray would have to follow instructions from Downing Street.

In other words, Sir Murray would find that his powers during his extended term of office would not be quite the same as before. At least any major policy decision he is going to make will have to be approved by Downing Street.

The British Government is said to have dropped the idea of sending its EEC representative Mr. George Thomson, to Hong Kong to succeed Sir Murray

as earlier reported. We think the decision might have been made out of respect for public opinion in Hong Kong.

We think no matter who becomes the next Governor, should he be an

administrative officer or a career diplomat, he must be confident in adopting the following principles:

1) He must work for the benefit of the general public instead of for a

minority or a particular class of people;

2) In negotiating with the British Government, apart from being governed by legal and fundamental restrictions, he must not protect British interests at the expense of Hong Kong's economy;

3) He must promote exports of HK industrial products and raise the rate of

growth to promote Hong Kong's prosperity;

4) He must respect the wishes of the majority of the people here and continue to pursue liberal policies maintaining the existing economic structure.

The people of Hong Kong want a Governor who will look after them and who will take good care of their livelihood. They will be content so long as their livelihood is well looked after. Most people here are not very interested in politics.

In other words, the politics of the next Governor would be of secondary importance to the people of Hong Kong so long as he worked for the benefit of Hong Kong enabling perple to live in peace and harmony.