TNAG-0042-FCO40-78-Future-Sovereignty-of-Hong-Kong-Defence-Review-Working-Party-1967 — Page 95

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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D Paragraph 5

Al

This paragraph should now road as follows after the sentence ending "China's overwhelming local military superiority":

"Thore are three other types of situation in which

negotiations for such a withdrawal might be contemplated. These are:

(a) As in present draft

(b)

A situation in which Kwangtung broke away

from control by Poking;

(c) As (b) in prosent draft

(a) is highly unlikely in the near future. The Cultural Revolution shows no sign of coming to an ond and seems certain to continue for some months at loast. So long as it does the campaign against the Hong Kong Government will persist and negotiations on any terms short of capitulation to Chinese demands will be out of the question. The issue of the Chinese ultimatum

of 20 August about Hong Kong and the subsequent sacking of the British Mission in Peking and its aftermath demonstrate how uncompromising the Chiness attitudo has become and how fruitless negotiations would be in this atmosphere. It cannot be excluded, however, that situation (b) may arise should some of the regional arcas break away from control by Poking and pass under the leadership of more rational Party or Army groups. If this occurred in Kwangtung, the Province bordering on Hong Kong, it might be possibko to arrange a modus vivendi which would relieve some of the pressures on the Colony. So far, however, the evidence available shows that the Army romains in control along the frontier and subject to Headquarters in Poking. Further back, howover, in Canton there has becn considerable disorder and this could conceivably spread throughout the whole Province. It is, however, more likely that such a situation might ariso after the Cultural Revolution: we considor this below. Accordingly, at present the only situation on which negotiations scom possible is (c)."

Further on in the prosont paragraph 5, delete the sentence:

"Exporionce as shown. ....as Chinese territory".

In the next sentence for "winning their campaign" substitute "in the ascordant",

In the ponultinate sentence, for "sign" substitute "indication" and omit the words "to the Chinose".

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/E Paragraph 2

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