BRIIF NO 12A
VISIT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN
AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS TO CHINA
MAY 1976
STOP-OVER IN HONG KONG
1. The Governor of Hong Kong and Lady MacLehose will be at the airport to greet the Secretary of State and Mrs Crosland.
Line to Take
1. The Secretary of State may care to express his regret at not being able to visit Hong Kong on this occasion but that he has seen something of the Colony during his visit in December last. He has no intention of raising the future of Hong Kong with the Chinese and does not think the time is ripe to contemplate any change in the existing status quo vis a vis the Chinese. He looks forward to having the Governor's advice on Hong Kong matters during the latter's next visit to London.
Background
1. The Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, was on leave during the Secretary of State's visit to Hong Kong last December as Secretary of State for the Environment. Sir Murray began his career as an officer in the Malayan Civil Service and joined the Foreign Office
to in 1947 after war service in the RNVR. He was Principal PS Mr George Brown and immediately before his present appointment was HM Ambassador Copenhagen. He is 58.
2.
Hong Kong opinion can be expected to be nervous lest the Secretary of State's visit to Peking portends some change of policy
Mr Cortazzi will towards Hong Kong to the Colony's disadvantage. be visiting Hong Kong after the Secretary of State returns home and will be briefing the Governor and others on the talks in Peking. Meanwhile, there is no harm in giving oral assurances which the Governor can convey informally and privately to his leading advisers.
13.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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