Printed for the Cabinet. October 1949
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SECRET
C.P. (49) 202
11th October, 1949
CABINET
Copy No. 31
1
HONG KONG
MEMORANDUM BY THE LORD PRIVY SEAL
In C.P. (49) 136 of 17th June, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations summarised the replies received up to that time from other Common- wealth Governments to our approach about Hong Kong. As my colleagues will recall, the preliminary view of the Canadian Prime Minister was strongly critical of our intention to retain Hong Kong on the ground that it would be regarded in North America as wrong in principle to endeavour to maintain British rule by force in a Colony which was geographically part of China. In his memo- randum of 17th June Mr. Noel-Baker emphasised that this was Mr. St. Laurent's first reaction only. Indeed, his views were given during a hurried week-end visit to Ottawa in the middle of an Election campaign, when, in view of the previous history, it might have been very embarrassing for the Government if the issue of Hong Kong had been raised.
2. Mr. St. Laurent promised to study the matter further and to let us have the considered views of the Canadian Government later. These have now been received in the form of an aide-mémoire dated 2nd September, which was handed to our High Commissoner at Ottawa, and which is reproduced as an Annex to this paper.
3. It will be seen that the Canadian Government fully appreciate the reasons why, in present circumstances, the United Kingdom has determined to make of Hong Kong a point where it will demonstrate its intention to resist Communist aggression in the Far East, and hope that "this decision of the United Kingdom Government to defend Hong Kong will strengthen the will of all the threatened countries of East Asia to resist Communist infiltration or overt aggression." The Canadian Government also pledge their full support to the United Kingdom Government, should we feel obliged to draw the attention of the Security Council to an attack on Hong Kong by the Chinese Communists.
4. My colleagues will wish to be aware of the much more forthcoming attitude now adopted by the Canadian Government, which is in refreshing contrast to Mr. St. Laurent's first reactions.
Commonwealth Relations Office, S. W. 1, 11th October, 1949.
37693
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