CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 641

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1

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Ref.:

"THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

CO 537/1427

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet. Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

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probable that they would make similar representations

and the Foreign Office may conceivably take the view

that the new project should at least be mentioned to

the Chinese Government before work is actually started.

The Foreign Office may be the more disposed to take

this view on account of correspondence, which is still

proceeding, between Mr. Bevin and Mr. Half as to the

best means of dealing with the known Chinese desire

for the retrocession of the New Territories. For

political reasons arising from that correspondence,

it might even be thought desirable/to approach the

Chinese Government with a suggestion that they should

be invited to co-operate in the /construction of an

airport at Deep Bay, not only on the grounds that it

would be constructed in the leased territory, but

also because such an airport/ would be serving Southern

China as well as Hong Kong The fact that the lease

of this territory expires in 52 years' time and that

the Chinese are likely to press for an even earlier

termination, is perhaps another reason why we should

not embark on the construction of a £4,000,000 airport

financed solely from British funds.

I do not know what view your Department would

be likely to take of this suggestion, but on account

of the high political issues involved we feel that

the Foreign Office ought to be consulted at this stage.

It may be that the most convenient course would be a

small interdepartmental discussion.

Yours sincerely,

I am therefore

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1

Cms

Ref.:

CO 537/1427

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

leaflet.