TNAG-1240-FCO40-1553-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 102

5.

CONFIDENTIAL

Chinese officials withdrew from the City of Kowloon and ceased to exercise jurisdiction there in 1899 only when they were compelled by force of arms to do so, and it was done under protest. Secondly, ever since then the Chinese Government has not only never renounced its jurisdiction over the area concerned, but also has on more than one occasion taken serious exception to the attempted assumption by the Hong Kong Government of such jurisdiction". "The Chinese Government also finds itself unable to accept the view you have taken that the Po An magistrate's visit to Kowloon was to a degree responsible for the Kowloon incident The action taken by the Po An magistrate in visiting Kowloon City and comforting the victims of the eviction of 5th January was the least that a magistrate legally responsible for the administration of the city

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area should do in discharging the duties devolving upon him".

The government of the People's Republic of China made no reference to the status of Kowloon City until January 1963 following a move by the Hong Kong Government to clear and redevelop the Walled City.

The Chinese at first protested in mild terms expressing their concern for the inhabitants' interests. Then on 17 January Vice Foreign Minister Geng Biao, summoned the British Chargé d'Affaires and delivered a protest note:

"The City of Kowloon is part of Chinese territory, the jurisdiction over which belongs to China.

This has

always been the case historically. Now the British authorities in Ilong Kong are preparing to demolish the buildings and to resettle the inhabitants of the City of Kowloon, and have recently announced the dates for the demolition of parts of the city. This serious infringement on China's sovereignty is impermissible".

The note went on to demand the immediate cessation of these activities. The Chinese claim to jurisdiction was rejected in a British note of

There were 21 January, but the redevelopment project was shelved. further incidents in 1970-71 when local communists tried to assert their authority on the basis of the 1963 note. In June 1970, for example, two ancient cannon were unearthed in the Walled City. The local Kaifong Association opposed their removal by the Hong Kong government and appealed to NCNA. NCNA rang the Political Adviser to complain of "a trespass on the jurisdiction of China". It was decided that the cannon were not of great antiquarian interest and they remained in the City.

CONFIDENTIAL