SECRET
Mr Wilford
POSITION OF CHINESE PEOPLES' GOVERNMENT ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL
ADVANCE IN HONG KONG
1. In your minute of 3 May you asked me to find out whether there are any statements on the record by the Chinese about their attitude in relation to constitutional advance in Hong Kong.
2. We have consulted Far Eastern Department and Research Department and the following is the result of our combined researches:-
(a) Extract from a note by Lieutenant Colonel Cantlie on his interview with Chou En-lai in Peking on 30 January 1958:
"With regard to Hong Kong there was an important point he Chou En-lai) wished to put forward personally to Mr MacMillan, or at least to his deputy. A plot, or conspiracy, was being hatched to make Hong Kong a self-governing Dominion like Singapore. This had the approval of several members of the British and Hong Kong Governments. He wished Mr MacMillan to know that China would regard any move towards Dominion status as a very unfriendly act. China wished the present colonial status of Hong Kong to continue with no change whatever.
I expressed my surprise at hearing this as, I said, I had assumed that any step of this nature would be welcomed by China as a step towards the eventual reunion of Hong Kong with China the leased territories would have to be returned to China in any case in 1997, or thereabouts. The Premier replied with an emphatic negative. China wished, he repeated, for no change at all."
(b) Extract from a statement made on 29 October 1960 by Liu Shing Chi, Chairman of CPG Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, in discussion with a party of Hong Kong trade union officials and representatives who were visiting Peking (the statement was made with reference to a point raised about "self-government" in the New Territories as proposed by the Americans):-
"American imperialism is our dreadful enemy and there is no doubt that the British do not like this proposal. If the work in educating and bringing compatriots in the New Territories into unity were properly done, the American imperialists would never succeed. Should the proposal come from the British it would be a different matter. We shall not hesitate to take positive action to have Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories liberated as, up to this very moment, we have never recognised Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories as British territory. However, the present status of Hong Kong is to our benefit. Through Hong Kong we can trade and contact people of other countries and obtain materials we badly need. For this reason we have hitherto made no demand for the return of Hong Kong. You are patriots. On return to Hong Kong you should do what you ought to do. We want to get back Hong Kong in a good state
of ruin."
and not in a state
SECRET
/(c)