COLONIAL SECRETARIAT,
Hong Kong.
26th March, 1957.
티나.
Dear Peter,
Thank you for sending me a copy of your letter F 1071/1/G of February 19th to Con O'Neill enclosing the briefs for the proposed Anglo-U.S. talks on the Far East. These have been of considerable interest to the Governor, who has asked if we could see a draft of the brief on Hong Kong, if, as is suggested in paragraph 17 of the main brief, one is going to be prepared.
2. The point which interests us most is whether you intend at this juncture to try and obtain from the Americans any firm commitment in respect of Hong Kong. As things stand at the present, it appears from here that there is no political commitment to provide military assistance in the event of an attack, although staff discussions have been held between British and American military representatives on an acceptable basis for joing planning. This state of affairs is not unsatisfactory, so long as the Chinese Government have no reason for believing that they could attack Hong Kong without fear of American reaction and the risk of a general conflict. Whether it would be desirable for a firm commitment by the Americans - if one were obtained to become known to Peking is a question we should have to consider. Militarily there would be every advantage; politically to let it be known in Peking that Hong Kong had accepted an American guarantee against Chinese aggression might be a more doubtful proposition. What does seem clear is that if we expect the Americans not to be prepared at this stage to go to the extent of making a political decision that would take their commitment beyond the planning stage, then it would certainly be better not to press just now, since to be turned down, and to risk the leakage of the fact that our request was turned down, would leave us worse off than we are at present.
3.
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There was one point which struck us in connection with paragraph 13 of the brief about the off-shore islands. It is felt here that, in putting our position on this issue, it would be better to concentrate upon the earlier part of your argument and impress upon the Americans the inflammability of the position in view of the Communist China's growing military strength and the danger that a Communist action against these islands might spark off a world war. The argument that there is little sympathy among Asian countries for retention of these islands by the Nationalists struck us as a little precarious, since na sty-minded Americans are apt to draw a parallel between the position of these islands and that of Hong Kong and we might invite the retort that there is little Asian support for our own xxx position here.
4. I am not copying this letter to anybody and I hope your reply may be also on a "Personal, Top Secret and Guard" basis.
P.G.F. Dalton, Esq.,
Far Eastern Department,
Foreign Office.
Page 163
Yours ever,
(R.T.D. Ledward)
Page 163
FGT143/6G
Sept 164 oPage 164 of 172
る
J. B. Johnston, Exq
Colonial Office
WITH THE COMPLIMENTS
OF
FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT
Foreign Office,
FAR EASTERN
28 MAR 1957 REGISTRY SECTION
SPACE
29 MAR 1957
Mar 27 page 61-64 oPage 164 of 172