SECRET
DSR 11C
(F8566/828 31.12.42)
(F285/1, 14.1.43)
under lease of British territory
Kad
Hong Kong. The Chinese Government was reluctant to accept Britain's case, to the point of refusing to sign the treaty unless it was accompanied by a clear statement that HMG intended to return the leased territory to China, even if actual
arrangements for return had to await the end of the war. The Chinese had found unacceptable a British offer to state in an exchange of letters that if the Chinese Government wished to raise the question, HMG considered that it was a matter for discussion when victory was won.
6. Britain in turn was not prepared to meet the Chinese
request for a statement of intention on the leased
territories. The threatened impasse was broken by the Nationalist Chinese Government's decision not to raise
the question of these territories in connection with the treaty. No exchange of letters therefore accompanied the signing of the treaty on 11 January 1943, but in a note addressed to HM Ambassador, Chungking, the Chinese Government reserved the right to raise the issue of the territories again for discussion at a later date. A similar point was made by Chiang Kai-shek in his book China's Destiny, published in March 1943; and Chiang touched again on the question of the leased territories in a speech of 24 August 1945.
(b) Restoration of British Authority in Hong Kong, 1945
7. As Japan's surrender became imminent in August 1945, some anxiety arose over who should accept it in Hong Kong. Under the terms of the General Order issued to the Allied Supreme Commander, Chiang Kai-shek was empowered to accept the surrender of Japanese commanders "within China". Britain was not prepared to accept any interpretation of this Order as including Hong Kong in the expression "within China" and resisted any Chinese attempts to have acknowledged Chiang Kai-shek's authority to accept the Japanese surrender in Hong Kong.
SECRET
/HMG
D 107991 400,000 7/76 904 953
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