"
with his views regarding the desirability of
retaining possession of the New Territories
at least until the expiry of the lease in 1997,
he would like to point out that China was at
that time engaged in a campaign of hostility
against any thing which she considered infringed
her sovereign rights, and that any suggestion that
the alienation of the New Territories should be
perpetuated or extended would certainly arouse
the most violent opposition. In these circum-
stances he was clear that the moment was
inopportune for discussing whether H.M.G. would
desire or be able to retain possession of the
leased territory after 1997/unless something
should intervene to force this issue upon us
in the meantime, consideration of it should be
postponed. His advice was to leave well alone,
and refrain from meeting trouble halfway, or
giving the Chinese any peg upon which to raise
the question.
and
In the F.0. reply to him, H.M.G. were
stated to have no intention of taking any
initiative in regard to the question of the
"
Kowloon lease, but, in view of the certainty
that the question will be raised by the Chinese,
possibly in some extreme form, long before the
expiry of the lease, it has been felt desirable
to ascertain the real value to the Colony of the
territory in question. The F.0. added that it
was impossible to foresee what means would be
available to H.M.G. when the matter was thus
brought to a head by the Chinese, and what
means would be most effective, in whatever Chinese
conditions obtained at that time, to secure
our