CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 50

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recovery of the leased territories, which will

probably ensue, if it comes at all,

irrespective of the customs question".

We feel too that it is important to

remember that our tenure of Kowloon (see line 10

of your letter to Robinson) is no less secure

than our tenure of the island of Hong Kong itself:

both were ceded to us and are British territory.

As regards the New Territories, the lease has still over 60 years to run and while it is

certain that any early retrocession of the

area to the Chinese in their present frame

farily

of mind would involve the probe ruin of Hong

Kong, it does not necessarily follow that

the same would be the case when the lease

has run its full course especially as it

is not unreasonable to imagine that it may

be possible in the years to come to effect

an arrangement with a settled, prosperous,

and less sensitive China whereby the

difficulties

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