TOP SECRET
HONG
KONG
AIDE MEMOIRE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
77
1.
The paper which was submitted to the Far East (Official)
Committee on the 11th December reached the conclusion that we
by
should not take the initiative at offer to
open with the
Chinese Government the discussions on the Leased Territories,
contemplated in 1943. The paper went on to express the view
that it would be very desirable for some reassurance to be
given in a public statement that we intend to retain Hong Kong.
In the earlier part the paper also discussed the question
of the line which should be taken in the event of negotiations
with the Chinese.
2. The above paper was a joint Colonial Office and
Foreign Office effort and the only point on which we were
not entirely in agreement on the official level was the
question whether a reassuring public statement should be made
about our intention to remain in Hong Kong. On this, both
the Governor of Hong Kong and the Colonial Secretary strongly
urged that a statement should be made as quickly as possible,
and we supported this view. The Foreign Office, on the other
hand, were doubtful as to whether the Committee should include
a recommendation on this point in the paper.
in Committe
1
3. In the course of discussion, however, the Treasury
representative, supported by representatives of other
Departments, expressed the opinion that the paper should go
further and set out the case for our retaining Hong Kong.
It was agreed that it should be revised on these lines and
in certain other respects, and that the revised paper should
be submitted to the Committee. The paper is under revision
accordingly. It is probable that in its new form it will
first of all set out the case for our retaining Hong Kong,
then deal with the question of an early public statement, and
then go on to discuss the line which should be taken in the
event of negotiations with the Chinese. In its revised form
there