AT THE END OF MAY.
WHAT ABOUT BETTER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA?
WE ARE IN FAVOUR OF IMPROVED LINKS, CABLE AND TELEPHONE
COMMUNICATIONS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN IMPROVED.
WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG?
WE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY CHANGE IN THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
DOUGLAS HOME
+
FILES
FED
HKI OD
PUS D
SIR E NORRIS
MR WILFORD
-3-
CONFIDENTIAL
160 A
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FH F C O 301030Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
COP COPY
FEH 3/30/1
1973
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 417 OF 38 APRIL INFO
PRIORITY PEKING
YOUR TELEGRAM NOS 444 AND 445: CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG
KONG.
(FE)
1. MR ROYLE HAS RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING TELEGRAM DATED 21 APRIL FROM MR
KEVIN SINCLAIR, DAILY EXPRESS CORRESPONDENT IN HONG KONG: QUOTE WOULD
APPRECIATE FULL STATEMENT ON PRESENT STATE OF DISCUSSION BETWEEN UNITED
KINGDOM AND CHINA REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT
OF CHINESE DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG. UNDERSTAND THIS
DISCUSSED BY YOU ON LAST VISIT PEKING AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL FULLEST
DETAILS. REGARDS KEVIN SINCLAIR POSTSCRIPT HONG KONG
UN QUOTE.
2. PROVIDED YOU SEE NO OBJECTION, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD PASS
THE FOLLOWING REPLY TO MR SINCLAIR FROM MR ROYLE: QUOTE THANK YOU FOR
YOUR! TELEGRAM OF 21 APRIL. MY COLLEAGUE LADY TWEEDUIR WILL BE ANSWERING
A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON THIS SUBJECT ON 9 MAY.
I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR ME TO ANTICIPATE WIAT SHE WILL SAY.
I AM SORRY THAT I CANNOT BE MORE HELPFUL. KIND REGARDS, ANTHONY
ROYLE UNQUOTE.
DOUGLAS-HOME
FILES
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HKIOD
NEWS D
PS/MR ROYLE MR WILFORD SIN E NORRIS
CONFIDENTIAL
나
Cutting dated
ECONOMIST
28 APR 1973
+
19
fürt
33./1
FE
Lety
HE
Hongkong and China
Ever closer
FROM QUA HONGKONG CORRESPONDENT
Peking's revived interest in opening a Chinese mission in Hongkong has
caused no surprise here. The Chinese have already renovated an official
resi dence on Barker Road on the peak ~~~~which was once barred to all
Chinese. Appropriately it is across the road from the home of the
American consul general, where agents from the Central Intelligence
Agency, lying on their stomachs around the pool, could if necessary
photograph all visitors.
two
The last time the proposal for official diplomatic representation was
openly made was in 1955, but the governor, Sir Alexander Grantham,
objected vigorously to the concept of governors for the colony." Now the
mood has changed and although the matter will be officially decided be-
tween Peking and London, opinion in Hongkong strongly favours the pro-
posal.
The last mainland representation in Hongkong belonged to the Kuomin
tang, whose chief angrily departed for Brazil in 1950 after Britain
recognised China. Apart from the red guard violence in Hongkong in 1967,
which was directed from bellicose Canton and not from Peking, Chiang
Kai-shek was always more hostile to the colony than Mao has been. A
Peking liaison office in Hongkong is likely to hasten another decision
the restoration of direct rail- way passenger traffic between Canton and
Hongkong, without the irritating train change at the border. After all,
a large Peking mission recently visited Hongkong to discuss with
imperialist interests the adaptation of western methods of hotel
administration for the "middle kingdom "-or, rather, the middle
peopledom.
:
EলJ
CONFIDENTIAL
Agreed.
feew & refting alterations. AR.
Minyetora.
บุป
B & C
D
Mr Evans
Mihorgan
CHINESE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG
Enter
+p-a
бая
3014
1. Kevin Sinclair the Daily Express correspondent in Hong
Kong has sent a telegram (attached) to Mr Royle asking for a
"full statement" on the present state of discussion between
the United Kingdom and China about Chinese official representa-
tion in Hong Kong. Press interest in this subject continues
in Hong Kong, as Hong Kong telegrams No 444 and No 445 make
clear.
2. Lord Brockway has put down a Parliamentary Question for
oral answer on 9 May. We are in the process of preparing a
draft reply. In these circumstances we could avoid the
problem of what to say to Mr Sinclair by referring him to what
Lady Tweedsmuir will say on 9 May. Mr Royle will not wish to
say anything about the content of his talks in Peking last June
which were confidential.
3. I submit a draft telegram to the Governor of Hong Kong,
asking him to pass on Mr Royle's reply to Mr Sinclair.
4.
HKIOD and News Department concur.
HL1 Davies
Far Eastern Department
27 April 1973 I Think Thai This is right.
agree
Kinhulfer A
FIDEN AL
1+
R.n. Evans
27 April, 1973.
I
ICES
CONSULT TELEPHONE
To send Telegrams DIRECTORY OR TELEX
DIALLING
CARD
NNNN
FED
CC JHK 100
ZCZC CLH544 LPG005X GLP695X GHAO50 HFA794 PC8176
BLH COAXAK 050
HONGKONG/ 50 21 1326
ANTHONY ROYLE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDONSW 1
Artaten
Forici
Please. R
V
cc also Joãos Dent.
21 APR.
ENQUIRIES DIAL
LHS1271
- CONSULT TELEPHONE
ELEX DIALLING
CARD
POST
OFFICE
INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPH SERVICES
To send Telegrams
CONSU
DIRECTORY OR TELEX DI
N
WOULD APPRECIATE FULL STATEMENT ON PRESENT STATE OF
DISCUSSION BETWEEN UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA
REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT
OF CHINESE DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION IN
७
X
10
HONGKONG STOP UNDERSTAND THIS DISCUSSED BY YOU ON
LAST VISIT PEKING AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL ·
FULLEST DETAILS STOP REGARDS
KEVIN SINCLAIR POSTSCRIPT HONGKONG
POST
INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPH SERVICES OFFICE
V
EN CLAIR GPS 900
Mr. Stuart (Hieros) night it not be indicated
FM HONG KONG 260846Z
UNCLASSIFIED
Privality to have got un views precis
I'm editor Itic i the
1973
an
ا
"upside down"!
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 445 OF 26 APRILɅNFO PEKING.
ના
Spoken to 17o Rayle and to cater in Maytag
P/A
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE WHICH APPEARED IN
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST TODAY (THURSDAY) UNDER THE HEADING QUOTE A
CHINA OFFICE IN HONG KONG A CERTAINTY UNQUOTE:-
CHINA IS VIRTUALLY CERTAIN TO HAVE A QUOTE REPRESENTATIVE
UNQUOTE OFFICE IN HONG KONG WITH THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
BUT JUST WHEN IT WILL BE SET UP IS THE BIG QUESTION.
2/6
TALKS AT A QUOTE SENIOR UNQUOTE LEVEL ARE BEING HELD IN WHITEHALL AND IN
PEKING ABOUT THE FORMATION, THE STATUS AND THE LIKELY STAFFING OF THE
CHINESE OFFICE IN HONG KONG.
BUT ALTHOUGH CHINA HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION TWICE WITH
DRITISH MINISTERS IN THE PAST YEAR IT HAS NOT REFN PRESSED RECENTLY AT
MINISTERIAL LEVEL.
IT SEEMS LIKELY, HOWEVER, THAT A GO AHEAD WILL EVENTUALLY BE GIVEN BY
LONDON DESPITE SOME RESERVATIONS BY OFFICIALS.
ONE OF THE FOREMOST ADVOCATES OF AN OFFICIAL CHINESE_REPRESENT- ATION IN
HONG KONG WITHIN THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT IS THE UNDER- SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR ANTHONY
ROYLE.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT SINCE MR ROYLE'S LAST TRIP TO CHINA LAST YEAR,
WHEN HE WAS QUOTE OVERWHELMED UNQUOTED BY AN ENTHUSIASTIC CHINESE
WELCOME AND FLEW IN A BRITISH JET AIRCRAFT WITH AN ALL-BRITIO CREW BACK
TO HONG KONG FROM SHANGHAI HE HAS BEEN PRAISING THE QUOTE
NEW CHINA UNQUOTE IN LONDON.
+
IT IS KNOWN THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES HAVE SENT
A FULL AND DETAILED REPORT TUDON ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF
ESTABLISHMENT HERE OF A CHINESE OFFICE.
/THESE
THESE ARGUMENTS ARE, ON THE GOOD SIDE:
IT WILL MEAN GREATER CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG IF AN OFFICIAL
CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE COLONY INDICATES TO LOCAL PEOPLE
AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD THAT THE CHINESE ARE QUOTE QUITE HAPPY
WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING UNQUOTE.
IT WILL MEAN AN EASING OF VISA AND TRADE RESTRICTIONS.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, IT IS BELIEVED THE FOLLOWING
POINTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION:
IN TIMES OF PEACE THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS, BUT IN TIMES OF STRIFE THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICIAL CHINESE OFFICE IN THE
COLONY WOULD BE A FOCAL POINT FOR TROUBLE.
THIS COULD HAVE A CRUCIAL BEARING ON CONFIDENCE IN THE COLONY.
ANOTHER DANGER IS THAT, ALTHOUGH CHINESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD NOT
SEEK, NECESSARILY, TO PROPEL THEMSELVES INTO THE PUBLIC EYE, PRESENT
MINOR TROUBLES SUCH AS TEACHERS' DISPUTES COULD MEAN A LARGE PROPORTION
OF THE POPULATION WOULD REGARD THE MAINLAND
REPRESENTATIVE AS A QUOTE CHINESE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG UNQUOTE.
THE QUESTION OF CHINESE REPRESENTATION WILL BE RAISED IN THE
BRITISH HOUSE OF LAORDS NEXT WEEK BY A LABOUR PEER, LORD BROCKWAY.
LORD BROCKWAY ASKED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON APRIL 16 ABOUT
PROPOSALS THAT CHINA SHOULD HAVE OFFICIAL STATUS IN HONG KONG.
HE WILL BE ANSWERED IN AN OFFICAL STATEMENT BY THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT TO THE LORDS ON 9 MAY.
SPEAKING TO THE S.C.M. POST IN A RADIO TELEPHONE INTERVIEW LAST
NIGHT HE SAID HE WOULD BE QUOTE DELIGHTED UNQUOTE IF THE CHINESE
REQUEST FOR REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG WAS GRANTED.
QUOTE I THINK IT IS VERY NECESSARY UNQUOTE, LORD BROCKWAY SAID,
QUOTE ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE CHINESE POSITION IN REGARD TO
HONG KONG UNQUOTE.
/HE SAID
-2-
HE SAID HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE COLONY, BUT REGARDED CHINA
AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PEACE OF THE WORLD.
QUOTE I AM A TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST AND I AM CONVINCED THAT THE
ATTITUDE TAKEN BY THE WORKERS IN CHINA TO IMPROVE THEIR CONDITIONS AND
THE ANSWERS TO THE FAMILY OF NATIONS ARE CORRECT
UNQUOTE.
LORD BROCKWAY SAID: QUOTE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INDICATIONS IN LONDON
THAT A DECISION IN THE DIRECTION OF WHITEHALL AGREEMENT
TO CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN REACHED
UNQUOTE,
ASKED IF THIS MEANT A DECISION AT THE LEVEL OF THE PRIME MINISTER, HE
SAID HE COULD NOT SAY, BUT ADDED IT HAD QUOTE CERTAINLY BEEN DISCUSSED
BY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE UNQUOTE.
LORD BROCKWAY SAID HE WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITIES OF CHINESE
REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG BEING UNDER CONSIDERATION BY
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
THE OFFICIAL CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG
TODAY ARE SPLIT INTO THREE CAREFULLY-SELECTED BRANCHES #
HSINHUA, THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY STAFF, OF WHICH THE LEADING MEMBER IS
MR LIANG WEI-LIN, WHO TRAVELS TO AND FRO ON A DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT WHICH
DESCRIBES HIM AS A BONA FIDE MEMBER OF THE PEKING
CONSULAR CORPS.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PEKING PRESS IN HONG KONG ARE ALSO QUOTE DIPLOMATS
UNQUOTE ACCORDING TO THEIR PASSPORTS.
MEMBERS OF THE CHINA RESOURCES STAFF, WHO HEAD MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH WESTERN ORGANISATIONS. AND
/STAFF OF
--3-
STAFF OF THE BANK OF CHINA, THE MEN WHO HAVE TWO MAJOR ROLES
IN THE ECONOMY OF THE COLONY: HANDLING THE VAST IN-FLOW
OF REMITTANCES FROM OVERSEAS CHINESE AND THE TRADE DEALS (MOSTLY
INVOLVING HONG KONG FOOD) FROM CHINA,
MACLEHOSE
FILES
FED
HKTOD
NEWS D
PS
SIR E NORRIS
ÞÆR WILFORD PS/MR ROYLE
+
+
EN CLAIR
GPS 900
FM HONG KONG 260846Z
UNCLASSIFIED
1973
41
←
TOP COPY
TEH 3/31/1
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 445 OF 26 APRIL INFO PEKING.
мен
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE WHICH APPEARED IN
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST TODAY (THURSDAY) UNDER THE HEADING QUOTE A
CHINA OFFICE IN HONG KONG A CERTAINTY UNQUOTE:-
CHINA IS VIRTUALLY CERTAIN TO HAVE A QUOTE REPRESENTATIVE
UNQUOTE OFFICE IN HONG KONG WITH THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
BUT JUST WHEN IT WILL BE SET UP IS THE BIG QUESTION.
TALKS AT A QUOTE SENIOR UNQUOTE LEVEL ARE BEING HELD IN WHITEHALL AND IN
PEKING ABOUT THE FORMATION, THE STATUS AND THE LIKELY STAFFING OF THE
CHINESE OFFICE IN HONG KONG.
BUT ALTHOUGH CHINA HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION TWICE WITH
BRITISH MINISTERS IN THE PAST YEAR IT HAS NOT BEEN PRESSED RECENTLY AT
MINISTERIAL LEVEL.
IT SEEMS LIKELY, HOWEVER, THAT A GO AHEAD WILL EVENTUALLY BE GIVEN BY
LONDON DESPITE SOME RESERVATIONS BY OFFICIALS.
ONE OF THE FOREMOST ADVOCATES OF AN OFFICIAL CHINESE REPRESENT- ATION IN
HONG KONG WITHIN THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT IS THE UNDER- SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR ANTHONY
ROYLE.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT SINCE MR ROYLE'S LAST TRIP TO CHINA LAST YEAR,
WHEN HE WAS QUOTE OVERWHELMED UNQUOTED BY AN ENTHUSIASTIC CHINESE
WELCOME AND FLEW IN A BRITISH JET AIRCRAFT WITH AN ALL-BRITIO CREW BACK
TO HONG KONG FROM SHANGHAI, HE HAS BEEN PRAISING THE QUO TE
NEW CHINA UNQUOTE IN LONDON.
IT IS KNOWN THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES HAVE SENT A FULL
AND DETAILED REPORT TO LONDON ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF ESTABLISHMENT
HERE OF A CHINESE OFFICE.
/THESE
1
THESE ARGUMENTS ARE, ON THE GOOD SIDE:
IT WILL MEAN GREATER CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG IF AN OFFICIAL CHINESE
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE COLONY INDICATES TO LOCAL PEOPLE AND THE OUTSIDE
WORLD THAT THE CHINESE ARE QUOTE QUITE HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE
GOING UNQUOTE.
IT WILL MEAN AN EASING OF VISA AND TRADE RESTRICTIONS.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, IT IS BELIEVED THE FOLLOWING POINTS
HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION:
IN TIMES OF PEACE THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS, BUT IN TIMES OF STRIFE THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICIAL CHINESE OFFICE IN THE COLONY WOULD BE A
FOCAL POINT FOR TROUBLE.
THIS COULD HAVE A CRUCIAL BEARING ON CONFIDENCE IN THE COLONY,
ANOTHER DANGER IS THAT, ALTHOUGH CHINESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD NOT
SEEK, NECESSARILY, TO PROPEL THEMSELVES INTO THE PUBLIC EYE, PRESENT
MINOR TROUBLES SUCH AS TEACHERS' DISPUTES COULD MEAN A LARGE PROPORTION
OF THE POPULATION WOULD REGARD THE MAINLAND REPRESENTATIVE AS A QUOTE
CHINESE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG UNQUOTE.
THE QUESTION OF CHINESE REPRESENTATION WILL BE RAISED IN THE BRITISH
HOUSE OF LAORDS NEXT WEEK BY A LABOUR PEER, LORD BROCKWAY.
LORD BROCKWAY ASKED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON APRIL 16 ABOUT PROPOSALS
THAT CHINA SHOULD HAVE OFFICIAL STATUS IN HONG KONG.
HE WILL BE ANSWERED IN AN OFFICAL STATEMENT BY THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT TO THE LORDS ON 9 MAY,
SPEAKING TO THE S.C.M. POST IN A RADIO TELEPHONE INTERVIEW LAST NIGHT HE
SAID HE WOULD BE QUOTE DELIGHTED UNQUOTE IF THE CHINESE REQUEST FOR
REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG WAS GRANTED.
QUOTE I THINK IT IS VERY NECESSARY UNQUOTE, LORD BROCKWAY SAID, QUOTE
ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE CHINESE POSITION IN REGARD TO
HONG KONG UNQUOTE.
/HE SAID
-2-
1
P
HE SAID HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE COLONY, BUT REGARDED CHINA AS BEING
VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PEACE OF THE WORLD.
QUOTE I AM A TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST AND I AM CONVINCED THAT THE
ATTITUDE TAKEN BY THE WORKERS IN CHINA TO IMPROVE THEIR CONDITIONS AND
THE ANSWERS TO THE FAMILY OF NATIONS ARE CORRECT
UNQUOTE.
LORD BROCKWAY SAID: QUOTE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INDICATIONS IN LONDON
THAT A DECISION IN THE DIRECTION OF WHITEHALL AGREEMENT TO CHINESE
REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN REACHED
UNQUOTE.
ASKED IF THIS MEANT A DECISION AT THE LEVEL OF THE PRIME MINISTER, HE
SAID HE COULD NOT SAY, BUT ADDED IT HAD QUOTE CERTAINLY BEEN DISCUSSED
BY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE UNQUOTE.
LORD BROCKWAY SAID HE WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITIES OF CHINESE
REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG BEING UNDER CONSIDERATION BY
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
THE OFFICIAL CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG TODAY ARE SPLIT INTO
THREE CAREFULLY-SELECTED BRANCHES #
HSINHUA, THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY STAFF, OF WHICH THE LEADING MEMBER IS
MR LIANG WEI-LIN, WHO TRAVELS TO AND FRO ON A DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT WHICH
DESCRIBES HIM AS A BONA FIDE MEMBER OF THE PEKING CONSULAR CORPS.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PEKING PRESS IN HONG KONG ARE ALSO QUOTE DIPLOMATS
UNQUOTE ACCORDING TO THEIR PASSPORTS.
MEMBERS OF THE CHINA RESOURCES STAFF, WHO HEAD MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH WESTERN ORGANISATIONS. AND
/STAFF OF
-3-
STAFF OF THE BANK OF CHINA, THE MEN WHO HAVE TWO MAJOR ROLES
IN THE ECONOMY OF THE COLONY: HANDLING THE VAST IN-FLOW
OF REMITTANCES FROM OVERSEAS CHINESE AND THE TRADE DEALS (MOSTLY
INVOLVING HONG KONG FOOD) FROM CHINA.
MACLEHO SE
FILES
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QPS 120
CIPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 260845Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
1973
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 444 OF 26 APRIL INFO PEKING.
YOUR TELEGRAM 303.
FEM 3/5./1
CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG.
WE DO NOT KNOW THE SOURCE OF TODAY'S SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ARTICLE
(FULL TEXT IN MY IFT) BUT BELIEVE IT TO BE LARGELY SPECULATION FOLLOWING
CHARLES SMITH'S STORY IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES.
2. WE HAVE SPOKEN UNATTRIBUTABLY TO THE EDITOR OF THIS AND OTHER LEADING
NEWSPAPERS CONCERNING THE PARAGRAPHS WHICH REFER TO MR ROYLE AS QUOTE
ONE THE FOREMOST ADVOCATES OF CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG
UNQUOTE. WE HAVE SAID THAT THE MATTER HAS BEEN RAISED
FROM TIME TO TIME DURING RECENT YEARS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. WE
HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT MR ROYLE HAS MADE NO STATEMENT ON OR OFF THE
RECORD WHICH AFFORDS ANY BASIS FOR THE VIEWS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
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CONFIDENTIAL
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4
THE TIMES
长
ترام
регис
علم
cutting dated
14th April 1973.19
Hongkong doubts over Peking mission offer
From Leo Goodstadt Hongkong, April 13
News agency reports today of China's desire to establish a mission in
Hongkong have had a mixed reception in the colony.
The move would be highly welcome diplomatically to almost all shades of
opinion be cause it would imply a subtle change in Peking's present
atti- tude, which is de facto recogni- tion of a British dependent
territory on "sacred Chinese soil". The more formal status of the colony
as a British posses sion, which a Chinese mission to Hongkong would
imply, would be a further demonstration of Peking's benevolent
intentions towards the colony's long-term future.
Politically, however, opinion in Hongkong is divided. In the past the
local administration has firmly opposed any such mis sion, fearing
repetition of the attempts made before Chairman Mao Tse-tung came to
power to use Chinese Government offi- cials in Hongkong as a rival
centre of authority and a focal point for those who would like Peking to
intervene in the colony's affairs.
These suspicions still prevail in official and private circles, although
China now behaves as if Hongkong's Chinese popula tion and its welfare
were the sole responsibility of the British authorities.
This relatively new attitude is becoming increasingly obvious, For
instance, Peking has increased its export prices to Hongkong to almost
world mar- ket lavels and dropped its previ. ous policy of giving
Hongkong's
CO
predominantly Chinese munity access to food and con- sumer goods at
prices well below those paid elsewhere.
China has also enhanced its reputation with the Hongkong Government
through the highly responsible behaviour of the Ministry of Finance
officials sent to work in Peking-owned banks in the colony.
The local communist move. ment has also worked hard since 1969 to
demonstrate that it re- flects Peking's own desire to see stability and
reasonable material progress in Hongkong, and it has stayed out of
industrial and other disputes during the past three years as far as
possible.
A serious security problem would arise if a Chinese mission were located
in the colony, as its staff would almost certainly be come the target
for Taiwan agents. They are believed to have fomented acts of violence
in the past in order to harm Chinese relations with Hongkong and
Britain.
The site of the proposed mis sion is already known. It is mansion with
extensive grounds which belonged formerly to the Chinese maritime
customs and became Peking's property on the recognition of the People's
Re- public by London in 1950. Our Diplomatic Staff writes: Foreign
Office sources confirm that China has several times asked for official
representa- tion in Hongkong since 1956, and particularly in the last
two years. Britain has the request under consideration. It is not
thought in Whitehall that the issue should affect Anglo-
relations on Chinese
other matters.
Ких
+
..
39
CONFIDENTIAL
1ORITY
PHER/CAT-A-
TOP CORT
GPS 100
FM FCO 181705Z
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 388 OF 18 APRIL/AND TO PEKING.
(FE{{
3
1973
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
31
1.
MY TELEGRAM NO 383: CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG
LORD BROCKWAY HAS PUT DOWN THE FOLLOWING PARLIAMENTARY
QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER ON 9 MAY:
QUOTE TO ASK HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WHETHER CHINA HAS REQUESTED THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN HONG KONG: AND, IF SO, WHAT
DECISION HAS BEEN REACHED UNQUOTE.
2. WE SHALL SEEK YOUR COMMENTS BY TELEGRAM ON OUR DRAFT ANSWER AND NOTES
FOR SUPPLEMENTARIES,
DOUGLAS-HOME
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SIR E NORRIS
CONFIDENTIAL
SECRET AND PERSCHAL
Sir Hurray MeɑLehose ZOHO MBE HOTA LONG
17 April 1973
38
1
CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG
1.
As promised in our telegram of 17 April, I molose copy of Charles
Smith's transcript of the remarka Ch'lao Xuan-huz made to Alan Hare and
him on 30 March. Smith says that this is the nearest he can get to a
verbatia record. In producing it, he followed his notes faithfully and
did not attempt to clarify a number of obseze passages. He has
particularly asked that the Chinese should be given no grounds for
suspecting that he has passed a transcript to us. have assured him that
we shall respect his confidence.
2.
The transeript clarifies the mysterious point about the issue of visas
(paragraph 3 of 700 telegram No 365). Ch'iso sessa to have gone në
further on this particular subject than ho did when speaking to Er Royle
in June last yaar. At the same time, his words scho the recent rather
petulant Chinese remark made in the context of the LPO's application for
visas - that the China Travel Service in Hong Kong was not a properly
ocartitated coamler office (Priny triogram to 26 to Hoà lưu Kong).
3. On the question of air services, our judgement is that our
negotiating position need not be changed, Ch'imo did not say that BOAC
would be unable to fly to Peking unless we gave the Chinese what they
wanted over representation: and on the same day as Ch'ino talked to Hare
the Deputy Director General of CAAC told Er Heseltine that "as far as
services from Hong Long to Peking were concerned, the Chinese side would
give it consideration in view of the friendship between Britain and
China".
4. One point in the transcript did strike us as rather sinister. That is
the phrase on the second page that "the problem of Hong Kong's future
does not lie in the long tera". On the face of it, this suggests that
Ch'iso is thinking in terms of reversion before 1997. On the other hand
it could mean that what Chiao saw as "the problem", i.e, representation,
might be resolved at a fairly early date.
BECRET AD PERSONAL
/ 5.
BEGRET AND PERSONAL
5. We should welcome your comments and those of Michael Morgan on these
and any other points which may occur to you.
00
V H Morgan Esq PEKINO
(with enclosure)
K "
Wilfced
2
SECRET AND PERSCHAL
*
14
RESTRICTED
-
CYPHER CAT A
FM PEKING 140420Z
RESTRICTED
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 26 OF 14 MARCH, 1973
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.