CO129-591-19 Liberation of Hong Kong- requests by Chinese Government before signing formal surrender 30-8-1945 - 14-9-1945 — Page 53

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(c)

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Facility for embarking of Chinese troops

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at Hong Kong for redeployment in connection with occupation of Japan, Formosa etc., troops to be embarked will arrive self contained for food as far as possible. ×

(a)

All Japanese ships captured in Hong Kong to be handed to Chinese. Latter guarantee to use them only for pastwise and river traffic in Kwangtung province.

(e)

All captured Japanese M/T to be handed to Chinese for use on road between Kowloon and Canton as railway is badly damaged and will require months to repair. On my request Chinese agree' portion of captured material should remain at our disposal until we are able to import such materia".

(I)

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Portion of captured weapons and equipment to be handed to Chinese for rearming of railway police and city police of Canton (?)*

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Chinese made following further requests but agreed that decisions on these could be deferred until after the signing.

Iland

(a)

A portion of captured stocks of food and fuel to be handed over to them. In this connection I pointed out that feeding the civil population is our first responsibility and that our information is that near famine conditions now exist in Hong Kong. Chinese see this point and it should not be difficult to reach agree- ments with them on this point after surrender.

(b)

When informing me that the present popu- lation of Kong Kong is about 700,000 which will require a monthly import of 25,000 tons of rice Chinese requested that additional tonnage of rice should be imported for them for use in Canton Islands area. They will pay for this rice. They also request the right to buy rice in Hong Nong for reprovisioning of their coastal shipping.

(c)

Chinese offer assistance in investigating the activity of alleged war criminals and request assist- ance in dealing with their puppets who may take refuge in Hong Kong.

4.

For your information I was informed one Chinese division will be moved to border of leased terri- tories to prevent movement of communists and other non- central Government troops into it. I received full assurance that under no consideration will Chinese troops move into the leased territories.