TNAG-0850-FCO40-1060-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 38

!

(20)

again, at the risk of sending some members of the seminar to sleep (and others into apoplexy) I must ask you what THE HELL THESE CUTS ARE FOR? if everything in the Hong Kong garden is lovely, China has no plans for resumption, the year 2,000 AD will still see the Jockey Club in operation and the Yaumatei boat-people still waiting for resettlment??? What How come the cash-value to UK of the landing-rights at Kal Tak is a State Secret? What exactly has been cut out of the answer to Question 86 where Mr. Conlan MP asks O'Keefe (the head of the HK Section at the Foreign Office)about the crucial item of investment decisions in the NT when only 20 years remain on

the Lease?:

#1 .More than that one cannot say *** The decisions are

taken in the interests of the people of Hong Kong * * *

There is no other viable policy.*

LuskxhereX

(Document. cit. p.18)

Enough is enough. My throat is dry and I need a pint. The facts are before you and now tyou must make up your minds.

CONCLUSION

Let me state my own theory.

(a) The Lease Problem cannot and will not be solved. It is insoluble. (b) The consequence of this is that by about 1982, with failure to go ahead

with a second airport signalling this fact to all, there will begin a capital flight out of Hong Kong, and that, in turn, will lead to unemployments, steep rise in crime, riots and, finally, the entire breakdown of organised

life in the Colony.

(c) Viewing this as an inescapeable scenario, the British and Chinese Governments have already taken the only decision open to them agree on a date for

the resumption of Hong Kong by China. A date has already been set.

(d) Various kinds of deals can be made over assetts, compensation etc. But both

sides will have a very strong interest in three common approaches to this

resumption. They are:

(1) Both sides will be very secretive until the last minute. (ii) Both sides will make continual, vague, reassuring noises

until the last minute ('Relations never bettter'-MacLehose,

'Investors, put your hearts at ease'-Deng Xiaoping, 'Positive view of Prospects

Blaker)

1

(iii) The final takeover will be very sudden and totally without

consultation of the Chinese people of Hongkong.