2
6720/-/375
24.6.
Ins
Cohy
ла
from
the
Chinese hargé
d'Affaries relative to Pre establishment-
the
of
Chinese
Vice
-
Consulate al-H_K.
at
and requests that the local authorities may
by Lelegraph
views of the
be
sought.
The question of the appointment of a Chinese
Consular Officer in Rong Kong was under discussion
in 1929/30 in connection with the negotiations
for an Anglo-Chinese Commercial Treaty, but there
is now very little, if any, prospect of an early
resumption of those negotiations (see 90824/2/32
General).
The Hong Kong Government has since 1868
consistently opposed the establishment of a Chinese
Consulate in the Colony. The case against the
appointment of a Chinese Consular Officer in Hong
Kong was set out by the Governor, Sir Cecil
Clementi, in his Confidential despatch of 25th July
1929 (N. 29 on 61127/29 General) and was discussed
in Mr. Caine's minute of 12.9.29 and in Mr. Gent's
minute of 8.11.29 and subsequent minutes on
61127/29 General.
The Foreign Office view on this
matter was set out in their letter of 6th January 1930
(1 on 71127/30 General), and in his Confidential
despatch of 3rd January 1930 (No. 2 on 71127/30
General) Sir Cecil Clementi again urged most
strongly that a Chinese Consulate should not be
allowed to be established in Hong Kong.
The pros
and cons of the question are summarised in para. II
(iii) of Mr. Martin's memorandum of 18th March 1930
(flagged green on 71127/30 General).
In