CONFIDENTIAL
CONSULTATIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG
25 November, 1969
Kowloon Walled City and the Adjoining Areas
The Political Adviser has recently sent us a copy of a
paper setting out Hong Kong policy on the Kowloon Walled City
and the adjoining areas.
2.
The main features of the proposals are these.
(a) The Hong Kong authorities have decided to begin a
programme of clearance and rebuilding in the area
immediately outside the Walled City where there is no
argument about jurisdiction.
(b) During the next five years governmental action inside the
Walled City will continue on much the same basis as now.
The Hong Kong authorities would like gradually to extend
the effectiveness of governmental action in the Walled City
and will do so when they can, but they will proceed
gradually and have no intention of pushing the policy so
far that they encounter serious objection.
One section
where they think they might make a bit of a push concerns
the fire risk in schools. They know that there are a
number of schools in the Walled City in very dangerous
premises and they think something might be done to close
them down or to improve their safety precautions.
think that this is hardly a policy that the communists or
the Chinese Government could criticise.
They
CONFIDENTIAL
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