CHINA
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AND KOWLOON Chinese Official Calls On H. E. The Governor No Relinquishing Of "Rights"
The Government of China is not prépared to re- linquish any treaty rights and, on the grounds that such rights exist in the case of Kowloon City, arrangements are now being made for the re-establishment of Chinese civil jurisdic- tion there at an early date.
That, the "China Mail" learned last night from usually reliable Chinese sources, was the sub- stance of an official message delivered yester- day afternoon to His Excellency the Governor by Mr. T. W. Kwok, Special Commissioner for Foreign Affairs for Kwangtung and Kwangsi, on behalf of the Nanking Government.
While no official com- munique was issued by Government, the "China Mail" understands that Mr. Kwok asked for an interview with Sir Mark Young yesterday after- noon. He was granted an interview and in the course of this he phasized that China is not prepared to relin- quish any treaty right.
em-
Despite an official press com- munication by Government over the week-end on this subject-- maintaining that no such special treaty right existed any longer in the case of Kowloon City-- Mr. Kwok told His Excellency, that this, was not the view of the Chinese Government and, accordingly, China was prepar- ing to re-establish civil juris- diction there.
Kowloon City, the oldest built-up area in the Colony of Hong Kong, is an old walled town just off Kowloon Bay im- mediately west of Kai Tak aerodrome. One of the oldest surviving temples in the South China region, the Hau Wong Temple, is situated here.
Press Articles
Last week, certain articles appeared in the Chinese Press to the effect that Kowloon City had a status different to that of the rest of the Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories. These articles maintained that it was still Chinese territory and a Chinese cfficial was quoted as saying that he would shortly open Chinese Courts there.
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Although Kowloon City has been part and parcel of the Colony of Hong Kong for nearly 50 years now, the Chinese Press reports drew from Government on Saturday a special communi- ' que to the Press to contradict "these inaccurate statements" and inform the public of the true position.
Under the Peking Conven- tion of 1898, under which the. New Territories were leased from China for 99 years, it was stipulated that within the City of Kowloon the Chinese officials then stationed there should con- tinue to exercise jurisdiction
unless and until it became in-
consistent with military require- ments for Hong Kong's defence.
British Territory
Under this Convention, there- fore, the Government statement :
continued, Kowloon City became, for the period of the lease, "part of the extended British territory and came under British sovereignty."
The following year, the exer- cise of jurisdiction in the City by Chinese officials was found to be inconsistent with military requirements and accordingly terminated. Since that date, the British authorities have main- tained soic jurisdiction over both the New Territories and Kowloon City.