(3)
99
(104) on 54145/47
conditions suggested to be attached to any premature
surrender of the lease of the New Territories.
One of
these conditions is "joint management of that part of the
water supply system which would run beyond the Colony's
new boundary". It is also noted that it might be desirable
to stipulate joint control as well as joint management and
to add an understanding about the grant of facilities to
the Hong Kong Government for constructing any further
installations in the New Territories (e.g. a new airfield).
4. This Memorandum was revised in April 1947 as a
Colonial Office document, intended as a Memorandum for the
Cabinet pressing for a public statement of our intention to
retain Hong Kong and outlining a policy should the Chinese
seek discussions about the New Territories (which in 1943
we had promised them to enter into "when victory was won",
should they then desire this). The suggested policy was
that we should be prepared, if necessary and as a maximum,
to agree to the prematura surrender of the lease of the
Cagain set my in Annexure II). Three of these conditione New Territories on conditions/were "joint control and
management of that part of the water-supply system which
would run beyond the Colony's new boundary; continued control
of any other important installations in the New Territories,
e.
. 8.
the airport if constructed; grant of facilities to the
Hong Kong Government for constructing any further installations
in the New Territories which might be regarded as necessary
or desirable in the interests of the Colony". (In fact
this Memorandum never went to the Cabinet).
5.
All these papers considered the effects on Hong
Kong of a possible premature surrender of the lease of the
New Territories and the conditions which it would be
necessary or desirable to attack to such a surrender; and
I have drawn attention to the particular conditions
considered which relate to Hong Kong's most important
installations