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dopondants, this would be likely to enable us to evacuate larger numbers
than would otherwise be possible, by taking advantage of American transport
facilities,
(f) The Working Party has examined the possibility of action in the
financial and economic fields in the event of a forced evacuation from
Hong Kong. The outcome of this consideration is attached at Annex.
4.
This papor considers the problem on the following basis:-
(a) Largo-scalo ovacuation: who could be ovacuatod and how in idoal
conditions (paragraphs 5-7);
(b) the limitations imposed by security considerations (paragraph 8);
(c) the limitations imposed by the situation likely to be provailing
at the time that evacuation would be necessary (paragraphs 9-10);
(a) Plan "DIGIT" (paragraphs 11-12);
(o) conclusions (paragraph 13).
Large-scalo Evacuation
5. British troops in Hong Kong and their families total about 30,000,
British nationals and Commonwealth citizens of non-Chinose race and their
familics 31,000, non-Chinese foreign nationals and their families 14,500
(including 4,600 American citizens) and there are some 1.9 million Chinose
possossing or entitled to claim Citizenship of the United Kingdom and
Colonics. Of this last group, it is estimated that at least 100,000 would
be Chinese and their families who have been closely associated with our
administration and would be in particular danger of Communist rotaliation.
A comprehensivo evacuation would thus have to cope with at least 175,000
pooplo and, sinco many of Hong Kong's non-British Chinose population havo
already flod from the Communists, many more might wish to leave if
facilitics existed and a place to go wore available.
6.
Essential features of planning and evacuation in those numbers are
set out below:
(a) Priorities must be drawn up; the following are suggested:-
(i) those who must be evacuated for reasons of Britain's national
socurity;
(ii) those who would be at greatest personal risk in the event of a
Communist takeover, whatever their raco or nationality
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