8.
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7. In support of their claim, the Chinese can point to the fact that Hong Kong is geographically and economically a part of China and that its population is overwhelmingly Chinese. They would probably also claim that it was wrested from them under the "unequal treaties" and that its return would erase the last of China's humiliations suffered under these treaties.
Against this we can set the following considerations:-
(a) At the time of its cession in 1842 Hong Kong was a
desolate island with no inhabitants except a few fishermen. British enterprise, and good government have built it up to be one of the great seaports of the world, with a population of nearly a million inhabitants.
9.
10.
(b) With the removal of the protection afforded by
extra-territoriality and a probability of unsettled conditions in China for some years after the war, Hong Kong is likely to acquire increasing importance and value as a base from which Eritish merchants and industrialists can operate in China.
(c) Both the Chinese in Hong Kong itself, (many of whom
are British subjects), and also many Chinese traders on the mainland who avail themselves of the facilities of Hong Kong, would probably be very unwilling to see the end of British rule there, although they would hardly venture to say so in public.
(a) China has recently agreed to the lease of Port Arthur
as a naval base to the U.S. S. R. She is therefore not in a position to claim that the existence of special British rights in Hong Kong is contrary to her present policy.
There are four possibilities:-
(a) That Britain should not yield on any point to
Chinese claims.
(b) That Britain should agree on certain conditions to
the retrocession of the New Territories to China.
(c) That Britain should cede the sovereignty of Hong Kong
to China, retaining a special position under a lease or other arrangement.
(a) That Britain should agree to the return of all the
territories to China.
In support of the contention that Britain should make n concessions in this matter it may be said that the problem d ilong Kong must be considered against the background of Chinals claims and ambitions in South East Asia, and in particular of her efforts to organise politically the Chinese communities in
It is such countries as Valaya as irredentist elements. arguable that concessions in Hong Kong at present would be unlikely to "appease" Chinese imperialism in South East Asia: such concessions might be regarded as evidence of weakness and might be followed in due course by renewed agitation for further British concessions elsewhere. In any case they might cause much loss of British "face" in an area where "face" is of great political and economic importance. is moreover a possibility that new developments in methods of war fare may have increased Hong Kong's strategic importance.
There
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