229
COPY for Secret record in Department
29. 12. 42.
han
65
SECRET
W.M. (42)173rd
CO CLUSIONS
WAR CABINET 173(42)
EXTRACT from CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the War
Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, S.W.1., on
MONDAY, 28th DECEMBER, 1942.
CHINA.
Extra-
territoriality.
(Previous Reference: W.M.(42)171st Conclusions Minute 7.)
5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS said that, in conformity with the Conclusion reached by the War Cabinet a week ago, the Chinese Government had been informed that if they desired that the terms of the lease of the Kowloon Leased Territory should be re-considered, this was a matter which, in His Majesty's Government's opinion, should be discussed at the Peace Conference. Dr. Wellington Koo had now told Sir H. Seymour that he thought that the Chinese Government would take the view that, unless we clearly indicated that we intended to return the leased territory to China, they would not sign the proposed Treaty on Extra-territoriality on the 1st January, 1943. This would be very awkward, since we should have abandoned our extra-territorial privileges and no Treaty would have been signed to put anything in their place. The Foreign Secretary said that, nevertheless, his advice was that we should stand on the answer which we had given, subject to making it clear that the reply which we had given covered, not merely the terms of the lease, but the lease itself. The leased territories and Extra- territoriality were, of course, entirely separate
matters.
The Foreign Secretary added that, in the negotiations about the Treaty on Extra-territoriality, we had conceded a number of points in deference to the American point of view. He thought, therefore, that we were entitled to ask that the United States Government should on this occasion urge the Chinese Government not to press their point of view. He proposed to ask for the good offices of the United States Government in this matter.
The War Cabinet:-
Agreed with the views put forward
by the Foreign Secretary, and invited him to arrange for communications to be sent on the lines proposed.