CO537-6035 — Page 36

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

COPY FO

REGISTRATION

Typex

PRIORITY

No. 1128.

FROM HONG KONG (Q.A.G.)

D. 3rd October, 1950. R. 3rd

#

E

Secret.

11.30 hrs.

لانا

24

Welds

19 <

21

Addressed to Secretary of State,

Ħ

Repeated to Peking No. 165 (S. of 8. please pass).

M: Commissioner General, South East Asia

by savingram.

My telegrams Nos. 594 and 687.

Kowloon Canton Railway.

Managing Director of Chinese Section has now written to General Manager of British Section, suggesting further meeting in Canton to discuss resumption of through passenger traffic.

2.

I have instructed General Manager to acknowledge this communication and to ask for details of Chinese proposals in writing, on grounds that they will require prior consideration in conjunction with various authorities (e.g. immigration and security) here. I feel that in view of the general situation we should play for time and avoid committing ourselves. Resumption of through traffic would create serious problems in operation of immigration control at Kowloon Station as compared with the present control at the frontier, which is accepted by the Chinese Authorities, whose own control is in effect much stricter than ours, and might give rise to incidents which would have a particularly undesirable effect at the present stage of events when the attitude of the Central People's Government towards Great Britain and to Hong Kong in particular seems to be becoming more favourable.

(Copies sent to Foreign Office for repetition to Peking) Copies sent to:-

Foreign Office

Mr

•

A.A.E.

Franklin