TNAG-1043-FCO40-1293-Border-delineation-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 26

BY BAG

CONFIDENTIAL

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

* OUR Ref.: CR 12/1476/80

來函檔號 YOUR REF.;

AKK 04013

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

31/2

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

21 March 1981

Mr. Monice to see

RD Clift ER IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 Enla

HK & GD FCO

3 1 MAR 1981

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY Action T

3.

Mr. Friar.

Pl anoult

$22.4

PA

مثلا

Teck,

BORDER DELINEATION

Ah 23/4 Legal Adviser and off

черву від 15 Аргія

by

Last year it became evident there was some uncertainty between ourselves and the Chinese over the exact delineation of the border along a small section of the Shenzhen River which lies West of the village of Lin Ma Hang and almost due North of Heung Yuen Wai i.e. about 6 kms West of Sha Tau Kok. (See attached extract from the 1:50,000 map - Annex A).

2.

a few

চश्रीও

3

See 8

This uncertainty and confusion was apparent on occasions last year when Chinese troops appeared in North of Heung Yuen Wai which our own forces thought was British territory. Because of good sense on both sides no serious incident occurred. However, to avoid the possibility of further incidents, our own forces were told, in July 1980, to keep South of the uncertain area until the correct position of the border could be assessed. There have been no incidents since.

3.

Since then we have done a good deal of historical research on the problem. The uncertainty seems to have arisen because the river which formed the boundary when it was delineated (at this point a small stream), has since shifted slightly further North to its present line. This may be the result of diverting a stream on the Chinese side for irrigation as well as natural changes. I am enclosing a 1969 1:10,000 map showing the present marked border which follows the present main course with, superimposed, the approximate original line of the river as it appeared in the 1905 surveys. I also enclose an aerial photograph on which the difference between the '1905 line' and the '1981 line' is marked more clearly. (NB The border road and fence on the photograph post-date the 1969 map). On the ground it is still just possible to distinguish the old course of the river. The area enclosed by the two lines is very small no more than two acres at most of sterile, unfarmed,

land.

CONFIDENTIAL

14.