CO129-518-3 Proposals to hold periodical conferences between principal British authorities in China- and the government in... 13-8-1929 - 31-12-1929 — Page 24

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6.

Kore-

meetings will be most useful if held in Hong Kong

itself. The Chinese interests in Hong Kong, the

Straits and Malaya centre round Canton and do not

go further up the coast than Foochow and moy.

There is little to be learned by the Chinese

Secretaries of these colonies in Shanghai, and

Peking is quite beyond their ordinary purview.

over, the Chinese Secretaries from the Straits and

Malaya ought during their visit here to get into

touch with the leading Chinese of Hong Kong and

learn their views at first hand. This would be

impossible if the meeting were at Changhai or Peking.

On the other hand, I hold that it will always be a

great advantage for your Chinese Bearetary to visit

Hong Kong and Canton and see something for himself

of South China, for, as you know, the Cantonese are

very different folk from those who live on the

Yangtze and in the North. When in Hong Kong your

Secretary can easily visit Canton and make the

acquaintance of the leading Chinese officials there.

It will also doubtless be useful for him to confer