TNAG-1173-FCO40-1465-Future-of-Hong-Kong-special-study-by-FCO-for-the-Prime-Minis-1982 — Page 107

PART III

SECRET

British Aim

21.

If these alternatives have to be ruled out, the best practical

way to maintain confidence is the continuation of British

administration over the whole territory, and a public commit-

ment by the PRC that this would last well beyond 1997.

However, it is clear that no solution would be politically

acceptable to the PRC unless it included British recognition

of Chinese sovereignty over the whole territory. Thus, the

main objective of British policy should be to reach early agree-

ment with the PRC on continuing British administration and

control. If this could be obtained, a concession on sovereignty

could be contemplated.

Possible Approaches to the Problem of Sovereignty

Token Acknowledgement of eventual Sovereignty

22. Much will depend upon what the PRC mean when they talk

about the recovery of Chinese sovereignty. If they were to be

content with a formal acknowledgement that sovereignty over

the whole of Hong Kong would eventually revert to China, and

agree to the continuation of British administration until

the transfer of sovereignty at some unspecified date, this

would be very satisfactory. The date of 1997 would cease to

have significance and the benevolent attitude of China, coupled

with continued British administration in Hong Kong, should

ensure the territory's prosperity for the foreseeable future.

However, the Chinese are unlikely to see any attraction in

this.

12

السم

SECRET

/Acknowledgement