CONFIDENTIAL
of Government and international business in Hong Kong, has been
fundamental to Hong Kong's success as an international commercial
and financial centre. Replacing English by Chinese would have a
severe detrimental effect.
My
4. We have little evidence of Chinese thinking on this point.
guess is that they would envisage that Chinese should have much
wider usage within the Hong Kong Government and in general as time
goes by, but they may well see the commercial benefits of retaining English for certain purposes. If the concept of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong is to have any meaning, the Chinese may be willing to leave this point to Hong Kong to decide.
Bij
R D Clift
6 September 1983
CONFIDENTIAL
Hong Kong Department
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