TNAG-1247-FCO40-1561-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 178

- 6 –

어

Britain had long harboured the intention of grabbing a few islands on China's seaboard but had not decided on the specific location. Palmerston's instructions to Elliot had emphasized on possession of an island or islands but did not specify Hong Kong Island. Occupation of Hong Kong Island was the decision of Elliot who executed the decision to its fulfillment stage. He was of the opinion that Hong Kong Island not only carried important significance in British trade with China but also possessed important military value. British forces stationed on Hong Kong Island would place Britain in a position to control China's southeast seaboard. Opium smuggling, which had suffered a tremendous setback because of the ban imposed by Lin Zexu, resumed even more frenzied activity. The opium trade not only recover its past 'glory' but also found, in the British possession which was Hong Kong, a base for illegal trafficking to China. Hong Kong earned a shameful sobriquet: 'The opium shop of China'.

Invasion and possession of South Kowloon Peninsula

Britain, by coercing China into signing the Treaty of Nanjing, acquired ceded territory, compensation and a range of privileges. But the greed and ambition of the aggressor knew no bounds. Before long the aggressor folt no content in his acquired benefits. In 1856 British consul in Guangzhou H Parkes, with the support of Hong Kong governor J Bowring, made trouble on the pretext that the Guangzhou authorities had arrested a thug on board a smuggler's lorcha. The following yoar, acting in collusion with France Britain waged another war of aggression against China.

The war mounted by the Franco-British coalition was known as the second opium war which was an expanded sequel to the first opium war. It kept going on and off for a protracted period of four years. British aggressors shelled Guangzhou City, burnt Yuan Ming Yuan, set fire to and killed everywhere they went, and committed all sorts of atrocities. At that time the Qing government was having a life-and- death struggle with Tai Ping Tian Guo which held court in Nanjing. Confronted with a national enemy and a class enemy the Qing government, in an attempt to prolong its rule, elected to surrender to the former rather than submit to the latter. Another treasonous treaty, the Treaty of Beijing, was concluded with the British and French aggressors who obtained from it a number of rights and benefits. Britain got one more piece of territory which the French did not get, namely, the South Kowloon Peninsula covering an area of 11.1 sq.km. and extending from Jianshazui (Tsimshatsui) to langjiao (Mongkok).

Jianshazui was located on the opposite side of Hong Kong Island. It had a deep harbour where ocean-going vessels could ride at anchor. The land was flat and was best suited for residential purposes. Elliot had once eyed this land as a target for cession. A Macau newspaper dated July 9 1841 reported that in terms of town planning Kowloon lying opposite to Hong Kong Island had superior conditions. Upon Elliot's recall, opium trader Matheson was worried lest Britain would abandon Hong Kong Island in exchange for Zhoushan and Xiamen. He asked Jardine who was in London to bring his influence to bear on the government to hold on to Hong Kong Island. He said some would want Kowloon instead but we would have both Hong Kong and South Kowloon. (Note 22) In 1848 M Seymour, commander of the British Far East Fleet, advocated possessing South Kowloon Peninsula saying that in the monsoon seasons it would afford shelter to shipping and that it would constitute a threat to Hong Kong Island if occupied by another power.

0