Mr Rowlands
HONG KONG
HER
006/?
2)
No
1. Hong Kong is very different from all the other dependent
territories because of its size, its economic importance and the special and delicate problems arising from its relation- ship with China. Under the Convention of Peking, 1838, the New Territories (which comprise 92 of the Colony's total area) were leased from China for 99 years. They should thus
revert to China in 1997. The present Chinese Government how- ever do not recognise the lease, which they regard as the result of a treaty forced on China at a time of weakness. They take a similar attitude towards the treaties of 1842 and 1860, under which the remaining areas, comprising Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, were ceded to Britain in perpetuity.
2.
However, this does not mean that Hong Kong is under any immediate threat of repossession by the Chinese. They have confirmed that they regard the future of Hong Kong as some- thing to be decided through negotiations when the time is right. In the meantime, they are content for the administration of the territory to continue on its present basis.
Line to Take
3. Any speculation about Hong Kong's future is liable to undermine confidence in the territory. We hope therefore that, should the subject be raised, discussion can be discouraged by stressing the uniqueness of Hong Kong, and the inappropriateness to it of principles that apply in other dependent territories.
Hong Kong and General Department
January 1979
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