TNAG-0043-FCO40-79-Future-Sovereignty-of-Hong-Kong-Defence-Review-Working-Party-1968 — Page 126

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Contingencies

408.

There are, however, circumstances in which the Chinese

might seek to reduce the Hong Kong Government to a position

of clear subservience, or even take over the Colony, before

the expiry of the lease in 1997. Such circumstances could

well be created by:

(a) Events in Hong Kong which directly and seriously

(b)

damaged Chinese prestige or obliged the Chinese to

take active steps to fulfil their self-assumed role

of "protector" of all those of Chinese race;

A severe deterioration of law and order in Hong Kong

coupled with economic chaos which might cause the

Chinese to assume their role as "protector" as in

(a) above;

(c) An attempt to change the present status of Hong Kong

(a)

in the direction of independence or closer association

with Taiwan (or any third country), or to give it any

other status which would impede its eventual reversion

to China;

A struggle for power in Peking (or even in Kwangtung

Province) in which either the opposition of the ruling

faction wished to focus attention on some external

issue with high emotional and nationalistic overtones;

or the emergence of a semi-autonomous Province of

Kwangtung which might see economic or political advantage

in taking over the Colony.

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/(e)