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from Hong Kong in the interests of intensifying the
confrontation with the Hong Kong Government; while the
second group would be disposed to control the level of
confrontation in order to avoid disrupting the Colony to
an extent which would damage China's economic interests.
In the present state of confusion in China it is by no
means certain that the second group would prevail.
jibes about China's tolerance of foreign colonial possessions on its territory will not be helpful to them (although it
Soviet
must be recognised that anything Russia says today is
automatically unacceptable to the Chinese).
E.
CHINESE ATTITUDE AND INTENTIONS TOWARDS HONG KONG
General Principles
37. The Chinese regard Hong Kong and the New Territories as
part of China. It is doubtful whether they see any essential
difference between the status of the Crown Colony and the
leased territory. They consider that all the 19th century
treaties with the Great Powers were "unequal" and that the
present Chinese Government should not necessarily continue to
be bound by them. The most specific official statement about the way in which the Chinese regard the treaties relating to
Hong Kong appeared in a People's Daily editorial of 8 March, 1963, which said that "with regard to the outstanding issues
which are a legacy of the past we have always held that when conditions are ripe (such questions) should be settled
peacefully through negotiations.
Pending a settlement, the
status quo should be maintained. Within this category are
the questions of Hong Kong, Kowloon and Kacao."
We must,
of
/course,
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