F..
of. No:
6995/154/10
0.. of. 801 54145/16/6/48
Gentlemen,
PORSIGN OFFICE, 9.5.1.
14th May, 1948.
A
B
Ol
D
AI
LIST 0:
(1) Additional
information about Kowloon City & the early history of the dispute as to jurisdiction over it. (2): ap of owloon
City.
The Anglo-Chinese Convention of 9th June, 1898.
{
1) Orcer in Council, 20th Oct. 1898.
(2) Order in Council, 27th ec. 1899.
(1) war office & Admiralty letters of 1934.
(2) British efence Coordination Com- mitteo telegram, 29th April, 1948 & Hinia- ter of Defence's
letter, 5th May, 1948.
Corresponcence be- tween H. .C. & the Chinese Govt. con- cerning the dispute as to jurisdiction over ..owloon City.
1) Between 1898 -
1900.
(2) 1933 - 1957. (3) Official state ment by ilong Hong Govt. 15th Sept.1946 (4) Correspondence since 1946.
F Foreign office
Research Dept. hemo. on leases granted by China to foreign Powers in 1898” and 1899.
o have the honour, by direction of Hr. Ducretary Bevin and of Mr. sucretary Cruech + Olles to request that you will favour them with your opinion on certain questions that have arison out of differences between is Dajesty's Government and the Government of China with respect to juris- dietion over the walled City of Kowloon.
2. Kowloon ity is a small part (6 acres in size) of the area leased by China to Great Britain by a Convention of 9th June, 1898, and forming an extension of the territory of Hong Kong. The City is situated about a quarter of a mile from the seashore anú is near the ai Tax aerodrome. It is 20 miles on the British side of the boundary between the leased territories an China. (additional information is given in para rapha 1 and 2 of Paver A
nap of Kowloon City is attached as Paper A, No. 21.
3. Since 16th Day, 1899, the Tong Long authorities have in fact exercisod jurisdiction over lowloon City. In 1899 - 1900 and 1933 1957 the Chinese Government challenged the right of the Hong Kong authorities to exercise this jurisdiction. The matter was again brouched in 1946 and the dispute has been brought to a head so a result of attempts made by the Hong Kong authorities on 5th and 12th insanitary dwellings in Koeloon City. Ja..uary, 1948, to uviet Chinese squatters from
Information
on the earlier history of the matter is contained in Paper A, No. 1. Che uvente giving rise to the present diferences are sut out more fully below. Copies of available corresponduncu between H.2.0. and the hinese Government relating to the dispute are contained in Fasur E.
4. By the Convention of 9th June, 1898, between China and Great Britain (Paper B attached) it was agreed that the territory of kong Long should be enlarged under lease to the extent indicated generally on a map annexed to the Conventio... term of the loase was 99 years.
By paragraph 2 of
the Convention it was at the same time agreed "that within the City of owloon Chinese officials now stationed there shall continue to exercise juris- diction oxcept so far as may be inconsi.tent with the military requirements for the defence of Hong } onɛ. within the remainder of the newly-leased territory Great Britain shall have sole jurisdiction.
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