[CPIAMU]
CONFIDENTIAL
MR RENTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG (27-31 OCTOBER 1985)
27.
KOWLOON WALLED CITY
1.
The Kowloon Walled City is a few acres of high rise slum in
East Kowloon. It has been a cause of difficulty to the Hong Kong
Government since the end of
the Second World War. The problem is
created by the 1898 Convention which leased the New Territories to the United Kingdom for 99 years, but provided "that within the city
of Kowloon the Chinese officials there shall continue to exercise
jurisdiction except so far as may be inconsistent with the military
requirements for the defence of Hong Kong". In 1899 the Chinese
officials were expelled and
British recognition of Chinese
However controversy
jurisdiction withdrawn by Order in Council.
over the exact status of the Kowloon Walled City has continued since
that date and the Chinese Government has opposed periodic attempts
by the Hong Kong Government to exercise full jurisdiction over the
The most recent example of Chinese attempts to exploit the
status of the area was Xu Jiatun's visit shortly after he took over
as NCNA chief in Hong Kong. He visited the Walled City and
described it as a good example of Hong Kong
Kong people administering
Hong Kong.
area.
2.
carry
As a result, the Hong Kong Government has been unable to out significant development or improvements and was
time
prevented from properly enforcing the laws of Hong Kong in the
Walled City. An attempt to clear the Walled City in 1963 was
abandoned in the face of protests from
from the Chinese Government who,
not withstanding their position on the legality of the Convention,
asserted that "the city of Kowloon
is China's territory within China's jurisdiction, has all along been so in history". Following the improvement in relations with China in the early 1970s the Hong
Kong Government hac progressively extended its control over the Walled City and improvements have been made.
3.
bed of
The Walled City remains a slum of the worst kind and a hot
The Hong Kong Government believe that the
which states that HMG will
crime.
ratification of the
Joint Declaration,
CONFIDENTIAL
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