TNAG-1192-FCO40-1494-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 95

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HKK3.40/1

GR 600

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 280440Z OCT 32

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1237 OF 28 OCTOBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL

1A629/10

MY IMMEDIATE PRECEEDING TELEGRAM

186

NOMENCLATURE IN PASSPORTS.

see(186

(193

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF EXTRACT OF SPEECH BY MR J.J. SWAINE, Q.C.

'SIR,

THE BURNING TOPIC OF THE DAY IS THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN

THE LIGHT OF THE RECENT TALKS BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE

CHINESE LEADERSHIP. THE IMMEDIATE OUTCOME OF THOSE TALKS SHOULD

HAVE BEEN WELCOMED WITH GUARDED OPTIMISM HAVING REGARD TO THE

JOINT STATEMENT DECLARING THE COMMON AIM OF THE TWO SIDES. INSTEAD,

THERE HAS BEEN A PERVASIVE SENSE OF GLOOM, WITH THE STOCK MARKET

RUNNING ITS ERRATIC AND DOWNWARD COURSE. THIS IS OF COURSE MOST

UNFORTUNATE AND I CANNOT HELP BUT THINK THAT, HAD THERE BEEN LESS SENSATIONAL AND MORE RESPONSIBLE REPORTING, PUBLIC REACTION WOULD

HAVE BEEN MORE POSITIVE. THE DANGER IS THAT PEOPLE HERE WILL

WORRY THEMSELVES INTO A CRISIS. THEY SHOULD THERFORE START THINKING

POSITIVELY AND CAST THEIR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF HONG

KONG IN A MATERIAL AND REALISTIC WAY. THERE OUGHT TO BE A GREAT

FUTURE FOR HONG KONG. THE CONFIDENCE OF THIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN

DEMONSTRATED IN THE MOST PRACTICAL WAY BY THE MASSIVE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE AND WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO BE

MADE HERE AS SET OUT IN YOUR EXCELLENCY'S SPEECH. THE PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG WILL GET THE FUTURE THEY DESERVE: MAKE SURE IT IS ONE OF

CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

IT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE TALKS NOW UNDER WAY THAT CONFIDENT-

IALITY SHOULD BE PRESERVED, HOWEVER, THAT SHOULD NOT INHIBIT AN

EXPRESSION OF SUPPORT FOR THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE BASIC

ASSUMPTIONS WITH WHICH SHE BEGAN THE TALKS. IT IS EASY TO SPEAK

OF MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN REAL

TERMS IN ORDER THAT THE COMMON AIM OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY

BE MAINTAINED? FIRST AND FOREMOST IN MY VIEW IS THE CONTINUATION

OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. AS A CONCOMITANT, THE ADMINISTRATION

OF JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW AS WE KNOW IT MUST CONTINUE. CHANGE

MUST COME BY EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, NOT THROUGH HAVING IT THRUST

UPON US. NO DOUBT IN THE COURSE OF TIME CHANGES WILL COME ABOUT, BUT OUR BASIC INSTITUTIONS MUST REMAIN. WITHOUT THESE, I FEAR

THAT THE COMMON AIM WILL NOT BE CAPABLE OF ATTAINMENT.

CONFIDENTIAL

15IR

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