(FED 82/403/01)
1.
Status of Hong Kong Chinese Attitude
APPENDIX
Page 245
The following is an extract of the record of an interview between
Chou En Lai, C.P.G. Premier, and Lt. Col. K. Cantilie, on 30/1/58.
"With regard to Hong Kong, there was an important point he
(Chou) wished to put forward personally to Mr. Macmillan or at
least to his deputy. A plot, or conspiracy, was being hatched
to make Hong Kong a self-governing Dominion, like Singapore, This
had the approval of several members of the British and Hong Kong
Governments. He wished Mr. Macmillan to know that China would
regard any move towards Dominion status as a very unfriendly act.
Chine wished the present Colonial status of Hong Kong to continue
with no change whatever.
I expressed my surprise at hearing this as, I said, I had
assumed that any step of this nature would be welcomed by China as
a step towards the eventual reunion of Hong Kong with China the
leased territories would have to be returned to China in any case
in 1997 or thereabouts.
-
The Premier replied with an emphatic negative. China wished,
he repeated, for no change at all. To a subsequent question, he
replied that the plot was being hatched not by the people of
Hong Kong, who were quite satisfied with the present conditions,
but by upper circles, assisted by Chiang Kai-Chek and the
Americans. The latter believed that they could take a self-
governing Hong Kong within their own orbit. The enormous
American Consulate-General in Hong Kong was merely a base for
subversive activities in China and this would become worse if
Hong Kong were self-governing. China wanted peace with Hong Kong."
Statement made in Peking by Liu Shing Chi, Chairman of C.P.G.
Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, on 29/10/60. In discussion with
a party of Hong Kong trade union officials and representatives who
were visiting Peking, Liu said (referring to a point raised about
"self-government in the New Territories as proposed by the Americans"):
2.
Page 245
/"American Page 245 of 344
Page 246 (E/35(2) on FED 82/403/01)
Page 246 "American imperialism is our dreadful enemy, and there is no
doubt that the British do not like this proposal. If the work in
educating and bringing compatriots in the New Territories into
unity were properly done, the American imperialists would never
succeed. Should the proposal come from the British, it would be
a different matter. We shall not hesitate to take positive action
to have Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories liberated as, up to
this very moment, we have never recognised Hong Kong, Kowloon and
New Territories as British territory. However, the present status
of Hong Kong is to our benefit. Through Hong Kong, we can trade
and contact people of other countries and obtain materials we
badly need. For this reason, we have hitherto made no demand for
the return of Hong Kong. You are patriots. On return to
Hong Kong, you should do what you ought to do. We want to get
back Hong Kong in a good state and not in a state of ruin."
3. Extract from an editorial in the Peking "People's Daily" of
8th March, 1963 - in answer to Krushev's "paper tiger" speech of
12th December, 1962 in which he implied that the C.P.G. was "soft" on
the issue of Colonialism as evidenced by the continued existence on
its doorstep of such colonies as Hong Kong and Macao:
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