[This telegram is of particular secrecy and should be
retained by the authorised recipient and not passed on).
CYPHER]
WAR CABINET DISTRIBUTION."
FROM: CHINA.
FROM CHUNGKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
147
Sir H. Seymour.
D. 4.50 p.m., 15th December, 1942.
No. 1678.
15th December, 1942.
R.
33 3
IMMEDIATE.
10.05 p.m., 15th December, 1942.
My immediately preceding telegram.
a
for Doverlin
I informed the Minister for Foreign Affairs that His Majesty's Government considered the question of Kowloon to be altogether outside the scope of the matter now under negotiation and were not prepared to discuss it and I emphasised the lengths to which we had gone to meet Chinese wishes in connexion with related questions and abrogation of unequal treaty rights.
2. Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was supported by Dr. Foo and the new Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs made the points that the Chinese public regarded leased territories as in the same category as concessions, that the matter had been raised in the People's Political Council, that it was desirable to remove all causes of misunderstanding between the two peoples, and that the Chinese Government felt that a treaty which did not secure a settlement of Kowloon lease question would fail to achieve this object. They pointed out that they had refrained from raising the question of Hong Kong.
3. I countered these arguments and finally the Minister for Foreign Affairs closed the discussion by requesting that I would convey to you the views of the Chinese Government in the matter.
4. We were left in doubt as to whether the Chinese Government intended to pursue the matter further until Han Lih-wu called on Sir E. Teichman in the evening to convey the following personal message for me from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Dr. Soong was doubtful whether he would be able to induce Chiang Kai-shek and Dr. Kung (whose influence was now perceptibly [gp. undec. 1) to conclude the treaty if cancellation of the Kowloon lease was not provided for. It would be deplorable if a settlement were to be thus delayed and negotiations allowed to drag on as [gp. undec: ?in the case of loan. In course of conversation Sir E. Teichman made it plain that the minds of His Majesty's Government were made up and that there was no possibility of their agreeing to consider questions in
connexion/