CO129-591-16 Liberation of Hong Kong- arrangements in the event of the collapse of Japan 3-8-1945 - 1-8-1950 — Page 15

F.E.(M)(45) 1st Meeting

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SECRET

EXTRACT OF MINUTES OF ME ETING OF CABINET FAR EASTERN MINISTERIAL) COMMITTEE HELD ON

17th AUGUST, 1945.

55 14

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4.

HONG KONG

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13

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs drew the Committee's attention to telegram No.888 dated 14th August from the Foreign Office to Chungking 22 23 and Nos.856 and 857 dated 16th August from Chungking

to the Foreign Office. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek had been informed that we were arranging to despatch the necessary British forces to reoccupy and restore the administration of Hong Kong, and also to ensure the control of the Headquarters of the Japanese Southern Armies at Saigon. In reply to this communication the Chinese Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs had handed over a memorandum criticising our proposed action on the grounds that it was not in accordance with General MacArthur's general order of surrender, which did not include Hong Kong among the places to be surrendered to the Supreme Allied Commander of S.E.A.C. In handing over the memorandum the Chinese Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs had explained that China had no territorial ambitions either in Hong Kong or French Indo-China and would not take advantage of the fact that these territories are in the China theatre to establish possession; the Chinese regarded the announcement of our intentions as rather high-handed. Commenting on the memorandum His Majesty's Ambassador had stated that the difficulty seemed to be one of "face".

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