Cypher/OTP
DEPARTMENTAL NO. 1..
FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Sir R. Stevenson
No. 1158.
D. 1.59 pm. 16th December, 1947. R. 2.33 pm. 16th December, 1947.
16th December, 1947.
CONFIDENTIAL
1047
Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 343 of December 16th repeated to Foreign Office.
My telegram No. 337.
[Grp.undec.] Kowloon squatters.
You will no doubt have seen Associated Press report in North China Daily News of December 14th of statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs to State Council that "Kowloon walled city was a [?grp.omtd] problem and not an issue involving Chinese sovereignty and that he agreed with the British view that eviction order was issued for the sake of health of the Chinese residents there.
2. Local representative of Associated Press who would not wish to be so quoted assures me that the above report is based on reliable authority and that similar statement was made by Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Gearge Yeh at "off the record" talk with journalists.. It would therefore seem that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have decided to prevent this incident being exploited as a major issue.
3. I was particularly anxious to confirm the source of the above report as the Chinese press had quoted the Minister for Foreign Affairs as saying that the affair had arisen from misunderstanding and that discussions would now be started to demarcate the boundary" so as to settle the dispute. That conflicting and inaccurate versions of the Minister for Foreign Affairs statement on this occasion were in circulation was incidentally announced through Central News by spokesman [grp. omtd.] Ministry of Foreign Affairs who said that only the statements released by the State Council should be regarded as authentic.