A futute
two
*
Some notes on a characteristic 0.F.D. meeting. The first item
Hong Kong. As a result of withdrawing from Singapore we are putting two
more battalions into Fong Kong as well as fighters and frigates and
mineleyers, ak bloodly fleet, because Hong Kong must now have its own defences. 'That may be a justifiable short-term policy,' said, • but what about our long-term policy for withdrawl?' Micheal Stewart
a special Hong Kong Committee at work on this.
(1).
**
?
replied, There's
(* 0.P.D. is the initials of an Overseas policy planning sub-committee of
the Cabinet of the Uk Government. **ichael Stewart was at that time,
Foreign Minister in the Wilson Government, a fervent supporter of US policy all over the world, especially in Vietnam.)
We vannot cross-examine our speaker. He is dead. However, the implicatiion is quite clear. Over 11 years ago, there existed a committee at the British Foreign Office that was charged with the duty of dealing with
over the withdrawl of the British sovereignty fom Hong Kong,
even if
Fact. No. 1.
/concerned with
it exist The British Government has had a contingency-policy committee British anthat
withdrawl from Hong Kong for at least 11 years.
Form
11 year
ази
The next speaker to our seminar is a Financial Journalist (one of several that will adress us today ). He is Charles Smith, the Far East Editor of the Financial Times. His written submission was first published in his paper on April 24 1978 and reads:
I wasn't aure 1 ikis quide!
11
The friendly attitude of China means that there should not be too much difficulty in settling one of the trickier problems
that of that seem likely to crop up in the next year or two 'clarifying' Britain's juridical position in the New Territories. The British title to the New Territories (which constitute the whole of Hong Kong apart from Hong Kong Island itself and part of Kowloon) is based on an 1898 lease signed with the imperial Government of China. The lease expires in 1997 and can certainly not be renewed because the present Chinese Government has
declined to recognise the its validity.
a formula which
The problem which faces Britain is to produce will satisfy holders of land in the New Territories that their leases will remain valid after 1997 but which will not risk upsetting China by placing any other firm date on the duration of the British 'presence'. There seems little doubt that a formula can and will be found at some time in the next three years or so.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.