TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 40

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2. THEY MAIN CONCLUSIONS OF THE ARTICLE ARE:

(A) THAT QISHAN NEVER AGREED TO CEDE HONG KONG, ONLY TO PERMIT THE BRITISH TO RESIDE THERE:

(B) THAT HE NEVER AGREED TO BRITISH OCCUPATION OF THE WHOLE ISLAND, ONLY HONG KONG ITSELF (IE. PRESENT DAY ABERDEEN): (C) THAT THE SO-CALLED CHUANBI CONVENTION WAS UNILATERALLY LAID DOWN BY THE BRITISH AFTER THEIR MILITARY OCCUPATION OF HONG KONG AND THAT QISHAN NEITHER SIGNED NOR SEALED IT (THE AUTHOR'S NOTE THAT SOME WESTERN WRITERS HAVE TAKEN A REASON- ABLY SEEKING TRUTH FROM FACTS' LINE ON THIS POINT AND THEY QUOTE ENDACOTT'S HISTRY OF HONG KONG):

(D) THAT THE BRITISH COLONIALISTS OCCUPIED CHINA'S SOVERIGN TERRITORY OF HONG KONG BY FORCE OF ARMS AND WITHOUT A TREATY. THEY CONTINUED HOSTILITIES AND FORCED THE QING GOVERNMENT TO SIGN THE TREATY OF NANKING. THIS SHOWED THE TRUE ''THIEVING NATURE OF COLONIALISTS.

COMMENT

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3. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS SOME FAIRLY STRONG LANGUAGE ABOUT THE BRITISH. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECT IS COMPLETELY ONE-SIDED SEMICOLON THE AUTHORS CLAIM, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT BRITAIN HAD COVETED HONG KONG AND OTHER CHINESE TERRITORIES FFROM THE OUTSET OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH IS A DISTORTION. THIS IS THE MOST DETAILED AND SCHOLASTIC TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECT OF THE ''UNEQUAL TREATIES '' THAT I HAVE SEEN SO FAR IN THE CHINESE PRESS. THAT SAID, THERE IS NOTHING NEW IN THE MAIN THRUST OF THE ARTICLE AND ITS PURPOSE IS CLEARLY TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE CHINESE CLAIM TO SOVEREIGNTY.

4. WE SEE THIS AS ANOTHER SIGN THAT THE CHINESE ARE STEPPING UP THEIR PROPOGANDA CAMPAIGN, NOT ONLY IN HONG KONG BUT ALSO IN THEIR DOMESTIC PRESS. GUANGMING RIBAO OF 19 JANUARY CONTAINED A SOMEWHAT HOSTILE PIECE ABOUT THE MCCARTNEY MISSION OF 1792, WHICH CLAIMED THAT BRITAIN HAD CONCEALED THE REAL OBJECT OF THE MISSION (TO PROMOTE THE SALE OF ITS PRODUCTS IN THE CHINA MARKET AND THEREBY EARN MUCH NEEDED REVENUES FOR INVESTMENT AT HOME) AND THAT AN2£34 MOTIVE HAD BEEN TO ASSEMBLE INTELLIGENCE ABOUT CHINA, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OF USE IN THE 'SHAMEFUL OPIUM WARS''.

RN PEIRCE

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