НКВ codin
HILB
SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 506
OF 241607Z FEBRUARY 88
SECRET
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
2
124023 MDHOAN 9425
нко 2431г
FOLLOWING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
@
YOUR TELNO 647: UK/HONG KONG BILATERAL ISSUES
ESPECIALLY
1. I ENTIRELY TAKE THE POINTS WHICH YOU MAKE IN TUR, PARAS 2 AND 6. IT IS OF COURSE A MAJOR CONCERN OF THE DEPARTMENT TO ASSESS HOW A PROPOSED ACTION OR DECISION BY HMG WILL BE PERCEIVED IN HONG KONG, AND TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT WEIGH IN THE
BUT WE CANNOT ALWAYS WHITEHALL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. PREVAIL.
2. I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT, IN DESCRIBING LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE FUTURE, TO USE SLIGHTLY EMOTIVE TERMS (QUOTE AN UNWELCOME FUTURE UNQUOTE, QUOTE DECISIONS IN WHICH CHONG KONG) PEOPLE COULD NOT PARTICIPATE UNQUOTE). IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG SHOULD FEEL POWERLESS TO INFLUENCE THEIR FUTURE, AND IT IS PROBABLY INEVITABLE THAT THEY WILL TEND TO BLAME HMG FOR THIS. BUT IN A REAL SENSE THIS FUTURE, AND THIS IMPOTENCE, WAS PRE-DETERMINED BY THE TERMS OF THE 1898 TREATY. FROM THAT TIME ON SUCCESSIVE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO LITTLE MORE THAN MANAGE WHAT WAS
BUT HONG PRE-DETERMINED ARGUABLY WITH CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS. KONG PEOPLE, CONFRONTED WITH THE TRAUMA OF UNWANTED CHANGE, ARE NONETHELESS BOUND TO FEEL ABANDONED, AND TO INTERPRET EVERY ACT
THE BY HMG, HOWEVER IMPLAUSIBLY, AS SYMBOLIC OF ABANDONMENT. PROBLEM FOR US IS THAT THE MORE STRIDENTLY SUCH FEELINGS ARE EXPRESSED, THE MORE THEY TEND TO CAUSE AN IRRITATED REACTION IN SOME QUARTERS HERE.
3. MOVING IN MY TURN FROM THE ABSTRACT TO THE PRACTICAL, I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED TO TACKLE SENSITIVE BILATERAL ISSUES ONE BY ONE. THE DCA IS, I DEVOUTLY HOPE, FINALLY CLOSE TO RESOLUTION. ONCE THE DUST HAS SETTLED, WE SHALL
ON VIETNAMESE PUSH AHEAD OVER THE GENERAL COMPENSATION SCHEME. REFUGEES WE ARE TAKING ACTION ON YOUR TELNO 706 TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO BACKSLIDING BY THE HOME OFFICE FROM THE PRESENT COMMITMENT TO A RESETTLEMENT QUOTA OF 468. OUR PRESENT INTENTION IS TO MAKE A PUSH FOR ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT IN THE RUN-UP TO LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT IN JUNE: BUT GIVEN THAT THE EXISTING COMMITMENT WILL STILL HAVE ALMOST A YEAR TO RUN, OUR CHANCES OF
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