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Britain in 1842 and 1860. The Generalissimo in his
book "China's Destiny", published in 1943, made it clear
that Hong Kong is regarded as properly belonging to
China and its recovery is merely being postponed.
5. In support of their claim, the Chinese can
point to the fact that Hong Kong is geographically and
economically a part of China and that its population is
overwhelmingly Chinese. They would probably also claim
that it was wrested from them under the "unequal
treaties" and that its rendition would erase the last
of China's humiliations suffered under these treaties.
Against this we can set the following
considerations:-
(a) At the time of its cession in 1842 Hong Kong
was a desolate island with no inhabitants except
a few fishermen.
British enterprise and good
government have built it up to be one of the
great seaports of the world, with a population
of nearly a million inhabitants.
(b) With the removal of the protection afforded by
extraterritoriality and a probability of
unsettled conditions in China for some years
after the war, Hong Kong is likely to acquire
increasing importance and value as a base from
which British merchants and industrialists can
operate in China.
(c) Having lost Hong Kong to the enemy, it is a
point of national honour for us to recover it,
and restore it to its normal state of order and
prosperity.
Far Eastem Detot,
72 July 1945.
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