CO537-3706 — Page 156

Cypher/OTP

20 FLUMAR

POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION

FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Sir R. Stevenson

No. 175

18th February, 1948.

D. 4.55 pm. 18th February, 1948. R. 5.17 pm. 18th February, 1948.

Repeated to Hong Kong

170

166

98B

IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL

LIGHT

20

1040

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 175 of 18th February, repeated for information to Hong Kong,

170 - Kowloon.

My telegram No. 170

I saw Minister for Foreign Affairs again today.

He told me that the Chinese Government would only be able to accept your proposal for a Garden of Remembrance if His Majesty's Government would agree to the administration of the area bei g entrusted to the Chinese Government. Failing agreement on these lines the Chinese Government hoped that His Majesty's Government would reconsider the proposal put forward by the Chinese Embassy in London to the Foreign Office (see your telegram No. 75). Chinese Government noted with pleasure the undertaking of the Governor of Hong Kong to release the two men now in prison on the announcement of a settlement and hoped that in view of the "daily clamour on the part of the Chinese public for their release" His Majesty's Government would expedite the settlement.

26 મ

I expressed profound regret that [?omission] at this decision by the Chinese Government and said that their unyielding attitude in the matter could not result in anything but further delay in reaching the settlement desired by both sides. Minister for Foreign Affairs thereupon argued that the Chinese Government in not [? grp,omtd] for re-establishment of full Chinese civil administration in the walled city had already yielded very considerably and implied that he and his Ministry were under strong pressure and were being accused of weakness.

13.