TNAG-1235-FCO40-1548-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 82

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of 99 years. Details of the Articles were as follows:-

"The need to reinforce defence by extending Hong Kong's boundary has for many years been recognized. The Chinese and British Governments hereby agree that the British boundary be extended as per map attached, and the new territory be leased to Britain. The exact demarcation will be drawn after representatives from both governments have made surveys, and the lease will be for a period of ninety-nine years. It is also agreed that all Chinese officials currently stationed in Kowloon City be allowed to remain in their posta provided that they do not interfere with armaments in defence of Hong Kong. The rest of the newly-leased territory will come under the sole jurisdiction of Britain. The Kowloon-bound land passage to Xin An will still be open to Chinese officials and the Chinese people. It is also agreed that the area around the old pier at Kowloon City be retained for the use of Chinese military vessels and merchant ships as well as Chinese ferries, for easy access by the people and officials of the City..... According to the attached map, the land area leased to Britain includes Da Peng Bay (Mirs Bay) and the waters of Shenzhen Bay. However, it is agreed that Chinese warships, whether stationed within or without, are free to sail on the waters of these two bays..... (Note 32)"

After the Extension of Hong Kong Territories Articles' were laid down, the extensive area in the Kowloon Peninsula south of Shenzhen River and north of Boundary Street together with the some two hundred islands with a total land area of 975.1 square kilometres were forcibly leased to Britain. C. MacDonald represented the British in the leasing arrangements. He was the British envoy to China from 1896 and had shown himself to be a savage imperialist in hin dealings with the Tsungli Yamen. He resorted easily to threats and beration and assumed a most unreasonable attitude. Weng Tong he, Minister of Defence and Minister of Revenue from 1895 to 1898, and who as head of the Tsungli Vemen had frequent contacts with MacDonald, described him to be "greedy as a wolf and ruthless as a goat". He always prepared the necessary documents before each demand and forced the Tsungli Yamen to accept all his terms without a single change. It was he who personally drafted the 'Extension of the Hong Kong Territories Articles', had the details translated into Chinese and handed the document over to the Qing Government for signature.

While on one hand overjoyed at the signing of the Articles, the British capitalists were nevertheless dissatisfied about some of the provisions. The Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong opposed strongly to the fact that Manchu officials were allowed to station in Kowloon City and exercise their powers. They were also dissatisfied that Chinese ships should be allowed access to the pier at Da Peng Bay (Mirs Bay). It was alleged that such arrangements would be tantamount to allowing a foreign country to have jurisdiction within a British territority. Moreover, it was alleged that if ships from the Chinese Customs Service were allowed to sail in Mirs Bay, Hong Kong would turn out to be a Chinese port. The British Chamber of Commerce in London supported their counterpart in Hong Kong and asked the British government to negotiate with China for the abolition of these provisions. Furthermore, the China Society

in London were against the idea that the Hong Kong authorities should help the Chinese Custom Service with the task of anti-contraband patrol and tax collection, thinking that Hong Kong would be degraded to a Chinese treaty port, with its administration subject to the financial system of Canton. would impair Hong Kong's position as a free port in the long run, and tarnish

They feared that this its name as a British colony. In reply, the British Foreign Office remarked that "Her Majesty's Government has noted these opinions and suggestions" (Note 33), showing that great attention had been paid to their views.

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