TNAG-1411-FCO40-1887-Future-of-Hong-Kong--Hong-Kong-a-Change-of-Destiny---despatc-1985 — Page 32

[ME 2ACZ]

CONFIDENTIAL

Dr Wilson

Private Secretary

HONG KONG: A CHANGE OF DES TINY

FROM: A C Galsworthy

DATE:

31 July 1985

Cc: PS/Mr Luce

PS/PUS

Sir W Harding

Mr Elliot, FED

Mr Walker,

Research

1.

I submit a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong

giving a Hong Kong perspective on the negotiations leading

up to the Joint Declaration and the Governor's view of the

next 12 years.

2.

In the despatch the Governor briefly outlines the

history of Hong Kong and emphasises Britain's moral

repsonsibility to the territory which was shouldered on

our re turn to Hong Kong in 1945.

3.

The Governor then gives a brief account of the

negotiations as seen from Hong Kong. He argues that we

were right to press for British administration in the

early stages of negotiation, until forced to move by

September crisis. He pays

of the

confidentiality

Unofficials

in

an d

yet

the

tribute to the difficult role

the negotiations, tied

responsible to the people

by

of

Hong Kong.

The

Governor

detail contained

in Annex 1 to

the fact that the

over the people of Hong Kong to

stresses the importance of the

agreement was legally binding in winning

the Agreement.

the Joint Declaration and