TNAG-0943-FCO40-1162-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 259

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DSR 11C

By the end of 1949, with a new Chinese régime firmly in

power Mr Kwok seems to have quietly faded away.

72 The first CPG request, 1956-1958 The question of

Chinese official representation in Hong Kong was formally

raised by the CPG on 25 February 1956 when a Vice-Minister

of Foreign Affairs informed the British Chargé d'Affaires

(Mr O'Neill) that China wished to establish an "Office of

a Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic

of China" in Hong Kong. The request was given full and

careful consideration in London and Hong Kong, but it was

decided that HMG should give no definitive reply for the

moment.

73 Although this was the first official approach, the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (Chou En-lai) appears to have

raised the question informally on a number of previous

occasions, in particular during his discussions with the

Governor of Hong Kong on the latter's unofficial visit to

Peking in October 1955. On these occasions and in all

subsequent approaches, Chinese officials deliberately

avoided references to the appointment of a consular officer

to Hong Kong. The title of Commissioner seems to have

been chosen by the CPG (as by the Nationalist Government

before it) in order to avoid the admission, which would

follow

from

the

title

Consul -

/General

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