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SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS.
I have now had a chance of considering Chinese affairs in Hongkong and while my knowledge is limited I wish to draw to your attention certain points which I consider to be of a broad and fundamental nature.
(a). "Secretary for Chinese Affairs" is the old and honourable title for one of the most important posts in Hongkong. So is the equivalent in Singapore, "Protector of the Chinese" but I submit that just as the title "Protector" is badly out of date and in need of reconsideration, so does the Hongkong title require revision. There is one main reason for this, and it is common to both places, *Chinese Affairs" have been considered, for the last hundred years, to be merely "local affairs" of a Chinese as opposed to a European nature. There have of course been times in Hongkong when these Chinese affairs have been disturbed by outside influences, mainly from Canton, for instance the boycott in 1925/6. As a result a closer liaison was established between the Government of liongkong and the British Consul in Canton. Local officials too began to watch Kuomintang influences in South China.
This was a step forward but during the last four years of war Hongkong, like Singapore, has become a political problem of world interest. Instead of being a small island off the coast of China with foreign politics confined to relations with Kwangtung Province Hongkong now finds herself with the spotlight of Chinese and American attention focussed on her. New methods of meeting the situation are needed. The European powers with Fastern interests watch Hongkong with the greatest care, for what is fongkong's trouble today may well be theirs tomorrow. I reter of course to France, Holland and Portugal who are Colonial powers like ourselves and therefore subject to the same attacks from anti-imperialist and anti-colonial politicians in China and the United States. Hongkong, whether she likes it or not, finds herself in the position of having to have an external as well as an internal policy.
In order to face this situation the duties and with them the title of the Secretary should in future be expanded to "Secretary for Chinese and External Affairs," This will perhaps mean an expansion of the Secretary's Office with a division of function between local and external affairs but this is a detail of administration. Moreover, it may be argued that such a change would detract from the dignity of the office, but if the alterations draw comment it could only be a favourable one namely that it shows Hongkong is alive to the necessity of watching its interests abroad.
(b). In the previous paragraphs I have set out the broad view, namely that Chinese Affairs must include relations with China. As China is now one of the so called Big Four those relations assume international importance; on all of which the Governor and his Colonial Secretary should have specialised advice constantly at their disposal.
(c). In the rather narrower and purely "China" aspect, the abolition of the so called Unequal Treaties with China in 1943 made the Chinese in Free China think that Hongkong too would fall into their laps, and about that time ChiangKai-Shek wrote his famous book "China's Destiny" in which he said that he did not expect Great Britain would quarrel with China over so small an island as Hongkon He made it plain that he expects rendition. This was to some exten borne out by the Sino-American attitude to the question of the
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