EONG KONG
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THE CHAIRMAN said that he had called the meeting to enable him to convey to members of the Working Party the general sense of the discussion on our relations with China on 5th September in the Defence and Oversea Policy Committee. Ministers recognised the conflicting factors which must govern policy vis-a-vis China and Hong Kong on the one hand, the need not to prejudice the position of the Office of the British Charge d'Affaires in Peking, and on the other, the necessity for showing firmness and maintaining control in Hong Kong. To do this, the situation needed to be kept under constant and careful review. Everything necessary must be done to hold the situation in Hong Kong, but possible repercussions on our staff in Peking and their dependants must be borne in mind. This feeling amongst Ministers did not mean that every decision need be put up to the Committee. On the contrary, it should normally be possible to settle most problems bilaterally between the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office, after consultation with the Ministry of Defence as appropriate, and subject to reference to the Ministers in charge of these Departments on all issues of particular
political delicacy.
In discussion, it emerged that there was no conflict between the Departments concerned about the desirability of preserving a balance, so
far as possible, between the two factors involved. So far as procedure was concerned, it seemed inevitable that Ministers would shortly have to be consulted again, both about action against the Press in Hong Kong and about
the possible need to prescribe the death penalty for carrying bombs.
As regards reinforcing the garrison of Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year, the Committee were informed that the Ministers had not taken a
decision at their meeting on whether reinforcements were to be sent before trouble started, or only in the event of trouble arising, but had instructed that this be further considered as a matter of urgency. The present position
was that one extra battalion was already in Hong Kong and that the Commander- in-Chief, Far East, wished it to stay there until after 10th October. He
had been asked whether he wanted further reinforcements and his reply was
awaited. The view was expressed that there might be political advantage
in having an extra unit in the Colony before the period when trouble was
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