[CP1AMU]
CONFIDENTIAL
MR RENTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG (27-31 OCTOBER 1985)
27. KOWLOON WALLED CITY
1.
The Kowloon Walled City is a
f ew
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
1899 the Chinese
officials were expelled and British recognition of Chinese
jurisdiction withdrawn by Order in Council. However controversy
over the exact status of the Kowloon Walled City has continued since
that date and the Chinese Government has opposed periodic attempts
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 people administering
Hong Kong.
by
area.
2.
from
As a result, the Hong Kong Government has been unable to
carry out significant development or improvements and was for a time
prevented from properly enforcing the laws
in of Hong Kong
the
Walled City. An attempt to clear the Walled City in 1963 was
abandoned in the
the face of protests
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
along been so in history". Following the improvement in relations with China in the early 1970s the Hong
Kong Government
progressively extended its
has
Walled City and improvements have been made.
3.
bed of
control over
the
The Walled City remains a slum of the worst kind and
crime.
ratification
of the
hot
The Hong Kong Government believe that the Joint Declaration, which states that HMG will
CONFIDENTIAL