TNAG-0613-FCO40-761-Visits-of-Governor-of-Hong-Kong-to-UK-1977 — Page 172

CONFIDENTIAL

I strongly endore this

нкур

(12)

Mr Murray

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

mr.conturi fint.

31/8

І адже

PS

31/

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HONG KONG: PROPOSED CALL ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE BY THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG

1.

The Governor of Hong Kong will be on leave in the UK later

this year and in the Office for consultations between Monday, 21

and Wednesday, 30 November.

2. The present Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose, has usually called on the Secretary of State when in London as well as having meetings with Lord Goronwy-Roberts and other Ministers and

officials. Mr Callaghan, when Secretary of State, saw the Governor twice in 1975 and Mr Crosland was to have seen him in December 1976,

the occasion of the Governor's last visit to the UK. In the event,

the appointment had to be cancelled owing to the previous Secretary of State's other commitments at the time. (Mr Crosland had seen the Governor when he stopped off at Hong Kong on his way back to China in May 1976).

3. I think it would be most useful if the Secretary of State could

find time to see the Governor during his forthcoming visit. A meeting would provide the opportunity for the Secretary of State to impress upon the Governor the need for the Hong Kong Government to make the fastest possible progress in improving social and labour conditions in Hong Kong. The Secretary of State will recall Lord Goronwy-Roberts' minute of 1 July explaining the Hong Kong Government's present plans and our policy objectives in Hong Kong. I believe that a call on the Secretary of State would also be useful from the Governor's point of view. It would help him in Hong Kong if it were known that the Secretary of State had managed to see him and, as would be understood, endorsed the Governor's plans for social progress.

Arrangements are already in hand for Lord Goronwy- Roberts and others to see the Governor and, as in the case of previous visits, a meeting with the Secretary of State would complete the Governor's programme.

CONFIDENTIAL

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