NUTE ON HÀNG XUNG
1.
The rain fact rs in this case seem to be
(a) The strategic importance of Hong Kong makes it
inossible to contemplate the territory ever attaining
anything like dominion status, that is, complete
self-goverment within the Commonwealth with a right
secede
to cede at will,
(b) The accession to power of a Communist Goverment
in China has profoundly altered the situation since
the immediate post war period.
(0) The fact that of a population of am 204, alm st
wholely Chinese, a large proportion (perhaps 70-805)
are mig'ants who have com into this area in search of
t ade, work or security, but have taken no steps to
becum british liationals, distinguishes Hong Kong from
Committee al the other colonies in the panier of the desunity
and makea ilgincticabe any system of gover mant based
on a wide popular franchise.
(A) it has always been the policy to maintain an
open door with China, To reverse this policy, even
thrised
Les Cha
if desi able, w uld be impracticable since entry into
the territory by land or sea could not been preventéd,.
11
The Young Flan embodied in a dis atch of
22nd Jotober, 1946 made two main på 20sals sad
began
by recalling "the declared intention of HMG, to
give o the inhabitants of Hong Kong a fuller and woru
responsible share in the management of their own
affairs".
The propo: als wo
(1) To relace the present Urban Council by a
hall
Municipal Authority of elected and half nominated
/by