Panama Canal Zone in the list of non-self-
governing territories under its administration,
the Government of Panama had in the same
year contested the inclusion of the Canal
Zone in that list on the grounds that the
territory could not be considered as
non-self-governing and that sovereignty
over it rested in the Government of Panama.
In view of this contention, the United
States have not transmitted information
on the Canal Zone in 1947 or 1948, but
reserved its own position and stated that
the matter was subject to consultation
between the two governments.
Mr. Li
observed that if the fact that sovereignty
over a territory did not rest in the
administering authority was regarded as a
sufficient reason for ceasing to transmit
information in respect of that territory,
"the Committee should take note of that
fact with respect to Kowloon and the
New Territories" since "sovereignty over
Kowloon and the New Territories was vested
in the Republic of China". I enclose as
Annex II to this despatch a copy of an
extract from the Summary Records of the
proceedings of the Special Committee on
the 26th August, 1949, containing Mr. Li's
remarks.
.3. The United Kingdom Representative
reserved his Government's position on this
question, and both Mr. Li's remark and
the United Kingdom reservation were recorded
in the Rapporteur's report which was
adopted by the Committee. On the day
following the adoption of that report,
however, when the Committee had already
1
/dispersed,