..partevelopment Corporation
Head Office
110 O'Connor Street, Ottawa
Mail Address:
Box 655, Ottawa, Canada K1P 5T9 Telephone: (613) 237-2570
Cable: Excredcorp Telex: 053-4136 Region ices:
Mo
Toronto, Vancouver
Société pour l'expansion des exportations
Siège social:
110 rue O'Connor, Ottawa Adresse postale:
C.P. 655, Ottawa, Canada K1P 5T9 Téléphone: (613) 237-2570
Cable: Excredcorp Télex: 053-4136 Succursales régionales:
Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver
C
H014/1
Ottawa,
December 2, 1977
Mr. Peter Faulkner
British High Commission
80 Elgin St.
Ottawa, Ontario KLP 5K7
Dear Mr. Faulkner:
Further to our telephone conversation in which I asked you about the British presence in Hong Kong. The Export Development Corporation pro- vides Canadian investors with insurance against normal political risks for their overseas investments. In order to do this we must, of course, assess as carefully as possible the level of such risks in countries of interest to our clients.
Hong Kong raises special questions because of its status as a colony of Britain, and thus I am asking you for the following information.
1.
What is the British attitude regarding the validity of
(a) her perpetual claim to Hong Kong Island (embodied in the
Treaty of Nanking)?
(b) the 1860 claim to the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters
Island?
(c) the 1898 Convention granting a 99 year lease to the New
Territories?
2. What has Britain's official response been to China's rejection of
these "unequal treaties"?
3.
4.
•
Is there any truth to the allegation that Britain is willing to turn over administration of the colony to the Chinese on request?
How actively is the British government working to resolve the question of who will control the colony?
5. Does Britain recognise China's claim to the colony? If not, on what
If so, are steps being taken to turn over control?
grounds?
A
?
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