The Hong Kong Project: A Progress Report
Since November 1986 when the Hong Kong Project officially
The project has two began, considerable progress has been made. aspects, the collection of oral and written records of historical interest and the promotion of study and research on Hong Kong.
Archival Work
In the oral history side of our work, a total of twenty- three contributors, mostly retired civil servants of Hong Kong now living in Britain have already interviewed on tapes (on a confidential basis). They include two former Governors, all but one surviving Colonial/Chief Secretaries, heads of various government departments (including heads of the Finance Branch, the Commerce and Industry Department, the Education Department, the Public Works Department, the Police, the Commission Against Corruption, the Defence Branch, the Civil Service Branch, the Political Adviser's Department, the Housing Department, and the Medical and Health Department), an unofficial member of the Legislative Council, and a Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong. The only other surviving retired Governor, the Lord MacLehose, has also agreed in principle to be interviewed. Another contributor, Sir John Cowperwaite, who refused to have his reminiscence recorded on tapes, has, however, undertaken to answer specific questions in writing.
As far as written archives are concerned, our greatest achievement is the obtaining of the invaluable papers of the late Sir Cecil Clementi (Governor, 1925-30). I have also secured the private papers of Sir Robert Black, Sir Donald Luddington, Brigadier David MacDougall, Mr John Griffiths, and Mr Paul Tsui. A proper list of the Clementi Papers will soon be completed.
As a result of my private visit to Hong Kong last summer, have now reached agreements in principle with the Hong Kong Public Records Office and the University of Hong Kong for the exchange of copies of some of our non-confidential or declassified material for copies of some of their collections.
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I had also taken the initiative to make available to members of the University at the Oriental Institute Library several major Hong Kong newspapers - which the Hong Kong Government provides for circulation amongst its administrative trainees in Oxford.
Research
In the last seventeen months, I have completed work on a book, "Democracy Shelved: Great Britain, China and Attempts at Constitutional Reform in Hong Kong (1945-52)", which has just
I have also had been published by the Oxford University Press. five articles on Hong Kong published, four in the Hong Kong
I am currently Monitor and one in the Euro-Asia Business Review. working on two more papers, one to be submitted to the Pacific Review, and the other to the Hong Kong Monitor. I have also presented two papers on post-war Hong Kong, one at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the other at a seminar organized by the Friends of Hong Kong Committee.
Steve Tsang
24 April 1987
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