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DSR 11C
series of treaties with the Imperial Chinese Government.
In
our own legal view, the greater part of the Territory should
revert to China in 1997, and this effectively precludes a
'normal' progression through self-government to independence.
The attitude of post-Imperial Chinese Governments has in
any case ruled this out.
Both the KMT and Communist
administrations have condemned the treaties ceding and
leasing Hong Kong as 'unequal',
'unequal', along with a number of agree-
ments forced on a weakened Imperial China by the Powers,
particularly Russia.
This condemnation has not always
amounted to outright non-recognition of the Treaties.
thus an over-simplification to say that China does not
recognise the Lease of the New Territories.
It is
But the present
Chinese Government has stated that Hong Kong as a whole is
Chinese territory, temporarily under British administration,
a situation which must be rectified 'when the time is ripe'.
The Chinese Government are thus careful to give away
•
4.
nothing on their legal position.
But they have made it
clear that they do not seek an early change in the status
of the Territory.
By far the
T..
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