AGENDA
In 1841 the Island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain as a colony. In 1856 a further area in Kowloon was ceded on similar terms. In 1898 a lease was entered into with China for an area approximately 12 miles in depth, known as the New Territories, for a period of 98 years.
When the Peoples Republic of China joined the United Nations, the Russians criticised China for allowing a colony to exist upon her shores. The Africans, to be equally helpful, offered to assist China to liberate this Colony.
In due course China's representative at the United Nations wrote a letter putting on record that China did not recognise the three treaties referred to above, on the grounds that they were unequal treaties and obtained under duress.
He requested that all reference to Hong Kong as a colony be deleted from the record and stated that Hong Kong was, and always had been, a part of China. The question of the unequal treaties would be dealt with in due course at some appropriate time.
It is clear to all who have Hong Kong's long-term interests at heart that Hong Kong must be regarded as a special area in, or of, China. With a population of over 41⁄2 million Chinese and only some 30,000 non-Chinese, this is obviously the case.
Hong Kong is an area from which the Chinese derive considerable benefit as a free port and neutral point of contact with the rest of the world. It can today best be described as the Free Zone of China, under British management.
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