TNAG-0573-FCO40-706-Monitoring-of-progress-made-on-planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 37

N.W.M.P.

13.12.76

S.T.J.P.

14.12.76

W.K.Y.P.

14.12.76

K.S.E.N.

14.12.76

18 --

The Hong Kong public welcomes any candidate who will be helpful to commerce and industry and look after the livelihood of the people, no matter whether he is a politician, a soldier or a businessman.

The prosperity of Hong Kong depends on its light industry and its export trade, so we hope every Governor will try his best to protect business and industry and to look after the people. It is also the common wish of the people that the Governor avoid directly increasing the tax burden on everyone.

Whoever the next Governor is, he must give first consideration to the welfare of the 4.5 million people in Hong Kong. The interests of Britain and the necessity of maintaining friendly relations between Britain and China are only of secondary importance.

In the past, the British Government usually appointed a new Governor without consulting the people of Hong Kong. However, things have changed and Hong Kong's position is becoming more and more delicate.

If the British Government has already in mind someone to become the next Governor of Hong Kong, it should test the reaction of the Hong Kong public through unofficial channels.

Many of Sir Murray's long-term projects are in their initial stages and

if he stays on he will have time to put these plan on firmer footing. Perhaps this is

what the people want.

Sir Murray will definitely face the most difficult five years in his career

if reports that his term of office will be extended for another five years are true.

In the five years ahead, Hong Kong will be confronted with the following

serious problems:

1) Hong Kong will have to increase its contributions to Britain, whose

economy is steadily going downhill, even though Hong Kong cannot afford to do

How can Hong Kong maintain its economic vitality if on

the one

hand, it has to satisfy the demands of Britain and on the other has to be considerate to its people and not “squeeze" too much money out of them?

SO

2) To deny access to Hong Kong products, Britain is using the pretext of improving labour conditions in Hong Kong to drastically push up the costs of production of Hong Kong's manufacturing industry. We wonder how the

Government can maintain a balance between labour welfare and industrial

productivity.