CO129-540-13 Proposal by Chinese Government to establish vice-consulate in Hong Kong 6-6-1932 - 30-12-1932 — Page 2

2

6720/-/375

24.6.

Ins

Cohy

ла

from

the

Chinese hargé

d'Affaries relative to Pre establishment-

the

of

Chinese

Vice

-

Consulate al-H_K.

at

and requests that the local authorities may

by Lelegraph

views of the

be

sought.

The question of the appointment of a Chinese

Consular Officer in Rong Kong was under discussion

in 1929/30 in connection with the negotiations

for an Anglo-Chinese Commercial Treaty, but there

is now very little, if any, prospect of an early

resumption of those negotiations (see 90824/2/32

General).

The Hong Kong Government has since 1868

consistently opposed the establishment of a Chinese

Consulate in the Colony. The case against the

appointment of a Chinese Consular Officer in Hong

Kong was set out by the Governor, Sir Cecil

Clementi, in his Confidential despatch of 25th July

1929 (N. 29 on 61127/29 General) and was discussed

in Mr. Caine's minute of 12.9.29 and in Mr. Gent's

minute of 8.11.29 and subsequent minutes on

61127/29 General.

The Foreign Office view on this

matter was set out in their letter of 6th January 1930

(1 on 71127/30 General), and in his Confidential

despatch of 3rd January 1930 (No. 2 on 71127/30

General) Sir Cecil Clementi again urged most

strongly that a Chinese Consulate should not be

allowed to be established in Hong Kong.

The pros

and cons of the question are summarised in para. II

(iii) of Mr. Martin's memorandum of 18th March 1930

(flagged green on 71127/30 General).

In