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FC 1198/17

Cypher/OTP

36

FOREIGN OFFICE DISTRIBUTION

FROM PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Mr. Hutchison

No. 729

2nd June, 1950.

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

D: 10.17 a.m. 2nd June, 1950.

R: 11.40 a.m. 2nd June, 1950.

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 729 of 2nd June, 1950.

Repeated for information to Singapore Hong Kong Tamsui

Tamsui telegram No. 151 to Foreign Office : Nationalist soldiers in Hong Kong.

South China Morning Post of May 22nd reports 160 Nationalist troops including two Generals (ex S.S. Ethol Moller) were sent to Formosa on board Norwegian vessel, and implied that they would have been allowed to take their arms with them had the captain of the vossel not objected. Newspaper reports arms will be shipped later "As cargo in some other vessel".

2. I hope that these arms if not already despatched can bo detained. It appears to me that Kuomintang soldiers who scized the Ethel Moller on the high seas are little loss than pirates, and there seems no reason why we should treat them with friendly consideration. The despatch of these arms to

Formosa would be regarded as unfriendly by the People's Government and perhaps even as evidence that we have not severed relations with Kuomintang remnants.

3.

Despatch of this batch of Kuomintang troops to Formosa may be considered by the Chinese Government as inconsistent with our proposals to return 4,500 ex Kuomintang troops to China (please sco my telegram No. 123 to Hong Kong).

Foreign Office please pass to Hong Kong as my immediate telegram No. 129 and to Tamsui as ny telogran No. 8.

[Repeated to Tamsui. Copics sent to Telegram Section Colonial Office for retransmission to Hong Kong).

&&&

of Matinal soldiers f

ADVANCE COPIES

Mr. Dening.

Head of Far Eastern Department.