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aspect of Sino-British-American relations, but of British im-
perial and colonial history in the period.
There can be no question that during the whole Pacific War
period, Britain had wanted Hong Kong to remain British. But to
want is one thing, to be able to get what one wants is quite
another. The year 1942 was the time when Britain found it most
difficult to defend her position in Hong Kong. Intense pressure
and devastating criticism were directed at her by both China and
the United States. At one point, consequently, Britain was
seriously considering giving up her claims on her colony 'on
terms'. Events took an unexpectedly good turn in 1943, only to
deteriorate again from the middle of 1944. Even then, the last
year of the war was still an improvement on 1942 in that now
pressure came mainly from the United States whose government,
however, never allowed differences over treatment of colonial
peoples to jeopardise basic Anglo-American unity'. China, in
the contrary, was rather lukewarm about the matter. The outcome
might have been completely different had China's attitude been
as recalcitrant as it had been in 1942. This, perhaps, fore-.
shadows the fact that the question of the status of the British
colony during the subsequent period hinges completely on China,
and China alone.
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