CO129-609-5 Future policy- Press accounts of Chinese unrest over Kowloon evictions 19-1-1948 - 16-3-1948 — Page 2

C. I.N

1

5

6

る

Press Extracts

"

16-19 Jan 48 on Canton.

zo Jour

2.

21 Jan

22 Jon

23 J

مز

24

or

"The Exminst article of the 20th January, (6 on this jets) suggests that recent trouble

Canton

in Kowloon and

could have been avoided

conterl

resuming had handed

if, on

Britain

back to

in Hong Kong in 1945

Kowloon Walled

City

Chinese administration. It might be worthwhile,

means

to

draw attention

to the

this

suggestion?

by suitable impracticability of

I have

with Information tape. I read

the Times

avenged (triday, it is honed) comis

20

T

2

leaders 7

ク

t me P.R.O. Hiny Kay

(7.0. here sent them & Nowking).

7. Press Extracts

8

X

Y

27-1-48 -28-1-48

میرا

m. 2911

The 'Economist" article at (6) contains the only serious criticism of the U.K. or ong Kong Governments we have seen in the U. K. press over the Kowllon incident. What is particularly objectionable in it is its statement that Kowloon ("the valled city") ought to have been handed back to Chinese administration in 1945. The practical difficulties in the way of doing this are not referred to viz. that the territory in dispute is not.even a small old walled town", but a few derelict acres, unwalled, and that these few acres form a tiny enclave 20 miles inside the Hong Kong-China frontier.

I have discussed ie with Mir, Bvans of the Information Department and Mr. Scott of the Foreign Office What action, if any, he shoull or could take regarding this article. It is agreed that we must avoid getting drawn into controversy over the jurisdiction issue or, indeed, over anything.

The article may have two unfortunate effects. First, the Chinese Embassy will have seen it and thereby boencouraged because a reputable British

paper