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Minute by n Paskin
TOP SECRET
Sir G. Eter
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3/8/45 2
Liberation of Hong Kong
It now seems generally accepted that the operational situation places Hong Kong in the operational area of the Chinese Generalissimo whose Chief of Steff is the American General Wedemeyer, and whose effectively organised troops are American trained Chinese- not an easy situation for us.
We have organised & Hong Kong Planning Unit 3.9 an embryo of a Hong Kong Civil Affairs Unit which will be a militarised unit responsible to the British Yar Office for conducting the military rdministration of Hong Kong. They have hitherto been a civilian unit and they are about to be militerised on a Her Office establishment. We are preparing to seek an understanding with the Chinese that their milit: ry commend will be instructed, on a successful asscult. on Hong Kong, to accept and implement British Govern- ment policy on Civil Affairs in the Colony, and accept and take in British personnel to conduct the Civil Affairs administration under the military commander. s & preliminary step (since in American General is in key position on Chiang Kai-shek's staf) we endeavoured to get a clerence on this point with President Truman at Potsdam. The foreign Office have not yet been able to tell us whether it was done or not.
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Having regard to the uncertainties or the military position at any time in Chine We :re lso preparing a clandestine operation for the purpose of anticipating any seizure of Hong Kong by Chinese irregular militery or semi-military grous in huangtung, supposing that the Japanese have to with- drew all or most of their forces from the Colony.
There remains the possibility that Jayan may capitulate. While it is probable that in that contingency any Japanese garrison leit in Hong Kong would for their own safety resist any attempt by Chinese irregulars to seize Hong Kong, it is desirable that we should have a practical plun ready for the immediate despatch of a British force to Hong Kong to take over control. This would su gest an arrangement with the Admiralty and South East
sia Command for 2 or 3 suitable fast moving fleet units to be so placed, if Japanese crpitulation looks probable, that they may steam at once for Hong Kong under sealed orders on given signal.
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Apart from doing what we can to ensure our recovery of Hong Kong, we have to prevent the large scale looting which would certainly mark a seizure of the Colony by Chinese irregulars. have further in mind that if such irregul.rs did succeed in bringing off a successful coup on Hong Kong. the Chinese Government would be likely to sponsor them and we should not only have lost whatever remaining prestige we have in China, but we should have on extremely difficult ná embarrassing task in getting the Chinese out of the luce.
The remaining plan to be prepared therefore, is to de: 1 with the chance of & Japanese capitulation.
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