CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 961

this

ure, it could

rninon t • ment.

a more or

nese

be expected

© Colony

Hong Kong.

matter

y will bc

of view.

W. 1.

+6.

2

cm

Ref.:

CO 537/1649

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

1

2

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National

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

Archives'

leaflet.

of State

before his

on, to

on, and his

the kindness

let if I

>pe to see

Noc1-Baker

; and his

ible course

¡quired

the full

Noel-Baker orecast.

possible meets in

'e Sir Horace

hek had

e asked

n this

th any

to the

ld desire

rly future,

stions

ere

00063

wore settled and out of the way. It was not desirable, if it could be avoided, to start on any additional problems, whatever the merits of those problems might be.

6. The Ambassador appeared fully to understand this argument, but he nevertheless gavo ir. Noul-Baker & little indication of what his Governmont seems to have in mind. He said that of course the talks, if they began, would not bo at all like the Egyptian nogotiations. They would be of the friendliest kind; and he for his part believed that they could lead to an agreement satisfactory to both sides. The Hong Kong question had a great "sentimental" appeal in China, but on the practical side of the matter, 1.0. busi- ness,

defence, etc., he was sure that arrangements could be made which would give us everything we wanted. The Minister

did not pursue this line of thought, but he gathered that what the Ambassador had in mind was some kind of arrangement under which nominal sovereignty over Hong Kong would pass to China, while in practice we would for any purposes retain control. In any case, the Ambassador appcared. to unders tend that he and his Government would do well not to raise the question again at the present.

I ain, etc.

(For the Secretary of State)

1

2

Ref.:

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

CO 537/1649

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

N