CO537-3705 — Page 264

9.

(3)

Code

FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Sir R. Stevenson

No. 33

10th January, 1948.

Repeated to Hong Kong

LIGHT

DEPARTMENTAL

D. 1.50 p.m. 10th January, 1948. R. 5.16 p.m. 10th January, 1948.

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 33 of January 10th repeated to Hong Kong

My telegram No. 12 to Hong Kong.

I have received memorandum dated January 8th from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protesting against evictions. The memorandum begins by drawing attention to the effort of the Chinese Government to prevent this occurrence, (reference is to Chinese representation referred to in my telegrams to Hong Kong Nos. 336 and 337 of December 10th- 1946) and then proceeds to paint a picture of protests disregarded, and of Chinese evicted from humble dwellings by large detachments of police. It concludes with a request that I may convey to His Majesty's Government the hope that the latter will take into serious consideration the friendly relations that have always existed between the Governments of China and Britain, prevent Hong Kong Government from continuing with their eviction measures and immediately order the Government to release arrested [gp. undec] of inhabitants, cease to effect arrests and provide proper accommodation for inhabitants who have suffered losses.

2. The main body of the memorandum is concerned with justifying the Chinese attitude on the grounds that the Chinese Government have never relinquished their jurisdiction over Kowloon City. In this, it is pointed out the position of Kowloon leased territory is based on 1898 Convention and that in accordance with this convention jurisdiction over the city of Kowloon "naturally belongs to China" and that the British Government may not compel the inhabitants of that city to move elsewhere". The memorandum reiterates the statements made on September 15th and September 18th 1946 in which the Chinese Government maintained their claim to jurisdiction over this area and states that the Chinese Government are quite unable to accept the British attitude which ignores this. This position of the memorandum ends with the following paragraph

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now formally declare to the British Embassy that in accordance with the provisions of the said convention, the Chinese Government enjoys jurisdiction over the City of Kowloon and that they have no intention whatsoever of renouncing this jurisdiction. Chinese Government are quite unable to consider as legitimate

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