TNAG-0616-FCO40-764-Policy-of-UK-on-status-of-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 176

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REGISTRY NO. 51 10 JUN 1977

ADVANCE COPY

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ON 10 JUNE CHU YI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE NCNA WITH RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OVERSEAS CHINESE AFFAIRS, CALLED ON THE POLITICAL ADVISER. HE SAID THAT HE WAS ACTING ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 'SERIOUS MISTAKE COMMITTED BY

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES IN THE MAPS PRINTED

AT THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE 1977 HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT. THESE

MAPS DESCRIBED THE DEMARCATION BETWEEN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND

PAO AN COUNTY AS AN INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY**. THE CHINESE EDITION

OF THE ANNUAL REPORT DESCRIBED THE BORDER AS **KUO CHIEH**, AGAIN

WITH THE CLEAR MEANING OF A BOUNDARY BETWEEN COUNTRIES OR STATES.

2. CHU SAID THAT AS HAD ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN: *HONG KONG IS PART OF

CHINESE TERRITORY. THE PROBLEM OF HONG KONG IS A LEGACY FROM THE

PAST, AN OUTSTANDING ISSUE WHICH IS TO BE SETTLED THROUGH NEGOTIATION WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIPE. THIS IS THE CONSISTENT

STAND AND ATTITUDE WE HAVE ADOPTED TOWARDS HONG KONG.'' HE WENT

ON TO STATE THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT A COUNTRY NOR WERE THE NEW

TERRITORIES, AND IT WAS A SERIOUS MISTAKE TO DESCRIBE THE DEMARCATION LINE BETWEEN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND PAO AN COUNTY

AS A STATE BOUNDARY.

3. CHU SAID THAT IT HAD ALSO COME TO LIGHT THAT IN SOME MAPS AND

SOME FACT SHEETS PUBLISHED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES THE SAME ''MISTAKE'' HAD OCCURRED. HE CITED EXAMPLES OF STANDARD HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MAPS ISSUED BY THE CROWN LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FACT SHEET PRINTED IN 1975. CHU CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT THESE MISTAKES WERE DETRIMENTAL TO THE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN AND HE HOPED THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES WOULD TAKE MEASURES TO AMEND THE ERRORS AND TO PREVENT A REPETITION OF SIMILAR INCIDE.TS,