TNAG-0943-FCO40-1162-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 232

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CONFIDENTIAL

25. By 1960 Chinese attitudes begin to reflect a heightened

militancy towards "imperialism" and "colonialism". at the unre

time, the concept of "unequal treaties" was gradually broadened to embrace those which had provided for the annexation, as well as lease of Chinese territory by foreign powers, in addition to those mainly concerned with

extraterritoriality and the treaty port concessions. With these last issues resolved, the CCP now began to talk of the "liberation" of other occupied territories

Liberation, on the other hand, meant a return to the Chinese fold, not independence or self-

government.. On 29 October 1960 the Chairman of the State Council's Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, Liao Chengzhi (Liao Ch'eng-chih) spoke unequivocally of the "liberation" of Hong Kong. Talking to a group of Hong Kong trade union officials visiting

Peking he said that there were certain circumstances

in which:

"We shall not hesitate to take positive action to have Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories liberated as,

up to this very moment, we have never recognised Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories as British territory".

But Liao did not spell out the form such "positive action" might take, and went on to concede that China had a vested

interest in maintaining the status quo. The ideological commitment to the liberation of Hong Kong as to be balanced

by more practical considerations:

26.

"The present status of Hong Kong is to our benefit. Through Hong Kong we can trade and contact people of other countries and obtain materials we badly need. For

this reason we have hitherto made no demand for the retur of Hong Kong. You are patriots. On return to Hong Kong you should do what you ought to do. We want to get back Hong

Kong in a good state and not in a state of ruin".

The question of "unequal treaties" and their replacement by new treaties "when conditions are ripe" was again raised in "A Comment on the Statement of the Communist Party of the USA"

(People's Daily 8 March 1963). The article recalled the "Common Programme's declaration that the treaties concluded by previous Chinese governments would be examined and that they would Le recognised, abrogated, revised or re-negotiated according to tea

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