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Extract from:
o: H.B.M. Military Attache, British Embassy,
CHUNGKING
From: Commandant, B.A. A. G.,
China.
7. COMMENTS.
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SECRET.
Ref: G/6.
Date: 25 Apr 45.
141
A. B.A.A.G. AND THE FUTURE HONG KONG.
(a) It is obvious from all this that no matter how much we gain their confidence the Chinese will always fear and suspect that our real mission is to retake HONG KONG. Right from the inception of the B.A.A.G. we have denied this and endeavoured to convince them (and the Americans) of our real duties and that we were not exceeding them.
If the B.A.A.G. is used in the operations on HONG KONG for any purposes outside its official role (escape and evasion of landing parties and airmen and rescue of P/W and security) we shall be damned in the eyes of both Chinese and Americans for a long time afterwards. The comment will be "There you are; we knew all along the perfidious British were up to their old games".
For the last three years we have repeatedly told the Chinese that we are in this with them to the end; the people of the South believe us and if, when HONG KONG is retaken (by the Americans!) and handed back to the British ona platter, and the B.A.A.G. packs up and returns to HONG KONG, it will take British prestige a generation to live it down; for, whether we like it or not, South China's opinion of the British is conditioned by their opinion of the B.A.A.G. In 1942 we were derisively known as the "Run-Away-British", that has now gone (but not forgotten) and despite CHUNGKING manufactured difficulties, we are welcomed and trusted everywhere in the forward areas, due to our honest dealings with them; but should the B.A.A.G. leave before the end of hostilities in South China, the run-away feeling against us will break out more intensely than ever.
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(b) This same criticism will apply, and, in the eyes of the Chinese the result will be the same, if the B.A.A.G. as an organisation remains, but its senior officers are taken to join the new HONG KONG Civil Affairs Unit. I know there is the very strong argument that many of our officers would be of great value to the new C.A. unit; but what has to be decided is whether the temporary value of such a move is worth gaining at the expense of the faith the Chinese now have in us, which as explained above I believe would be lost for a generation or more. I consider that the B.A.A.G. as an organisation and most of its officers as individuals would achieve much more for SINO-BRITISH relations and understanding, by continuing their work in CHINA right up until there is no longer any escape and evasion work to do, and that they should not leave one day sooner. They would help the new HONG KONG Government much more by remaining at their posts in China than by sitting at desks in HONG KONG. By dissolving the B.A.A.G. as soon as HONG KONG is retaken we are throwing away the most valuable SNO SION-BRITISH contacts we have ever had in South CHINA. The B.A.A.G. should remain
at its posts until there is no longer the slightest military reason for them remaining; then and then only would they go with the blessing and without the suspicions of the KWANGTUNG people. In this connection it must be remembered that it is the KWANGTUNG people who are our neighbours in HONG KONG and it is the problem of the underground activities of the KWANGTUNG groups including the REDS that the future HONG KONG Government is going to have to face; the longer we keep our intimate contact on friendly terms with them in their own territory, the better can we serve HONG KONG.
(c) Concerning individual officers they fall into three groups:
(i) HONG KONG Government civil servants and those whose
home is in HONG KONG. These people are obviously
going back to HONG KONG and the Chinese know that they will do so irrespective of their association with the B.A.A.G.; I do not consider that there would be any criticism from the Chinese if these people
joined the Civil Affairs Unit.
(ii) Those whose value lies in their continued contact with
HONG KONG affairs and personalities. This particularly applies to our Security Section officers. When HONG KONG is retaken, the new government there will be the one
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/body to whom
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