CO129-588-24 China- British extra-territorial rights- negotiations with China 23-11-1942 - 1-1-1943 — Page 99

STA

F8444/828/10

Colonial

Office 204 W. B.L. Monson. Esq)

MOST SLORET

USUAL DISTRIBUTION

99

Wit the Compliments

of the

Under Secretary of State fur Foreign Affairs

2 DEC 1942

[THIS TELEGRAM IS OF PARTICULAR SECRECY AND SHOULD BE RETAINED

BY THE AUTHORISED RECIPIENT AND NOT PASSED ON].

[CYPHER]

WAR CABINET DISTRIBUTION

FROM CHINA

FROM CHUNGKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE.

Sir H. Seymour,

D. 2.40 p.m. 25th December 1942

No. 1720

25th December 1942

R.

6.05 p.m. 25th December 1942

IMMEDIATE.

201

Your telegrams No.. 1622 and No. 1625.

At the meeting on December 25th the Minister for Foreign Affairs pressed the inclusion in the treaty of rendition of Kowloon lease. I refused and put forward your suggested compromise using the expression "when victory is won" which we think preferable. The Minister for Foreign Affairs undertook to refer the suggestion at once to his Government. I think he is personally in favour of it but even so the decision does not rest with him.

2.

In the discussion it appeared that the Chinese

negotiators were suspicious of the expression "terms of lease". If they agree to compromise solution would you consider [grp. undec.] such phrase as "the lease", or "question of lease". They think

that if the expression "terms of lease" is used they may be held to have committed themselves to continuance of lease subject to unknown modifications,

O.T.P.