FO371-41657 — Page 27

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Q

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9.

be in control of the government of the whole of CHINA for

long after the defeat of JAPAN?

in CHINA? Will CHINA be divided?

Party be preponderant in CHINA?

Will there be Civil War

Will the Communist

What will be the influence

The

What

of the U.S.S.R? Will the U.S. A. retain the Phillipines?

part will BRITAIN have in the reconquest of HONGKONG?

future is doubtful and until there is some certainty that

we shall maintain our influence and position vis-à-vis a

strong, united stable and friendly CHINA, I am inclined to

think that it would be most unwise even to entertain the

idea of giving up HONG KONG.

Should we be faced so on after the War by a

nationalistic, aggressive and hostile CHINA it does not need much imagination in the light of a study of our past

relations to realize that, without HONGKONG, we might find

ourselves back in a position analogous to that in which we

were in the eighteen thirties when we were forced to

defend our people and our interests by force in spite of

every effort to avoid it. From 1841 onwards we had to

fight several times in self-protection and only maintained

our position with the support of the system of Extra-

territoriality and behind the strong bulwark of the Royal

During the whole of that period we shielded not only

our own and foreign commercial interests but the integrity

of CHINA itself from aggression in any forms, and

incidentally not the least beneficiaries were the U.S.A.,

and the American Navy; we should be very shortsighted and

committed to taking a back seat in the FAR EAST and Pacific

if we were to surrender HONGKONG, or even to entertain the

idea, before we and the Dominions were fully assured that

CHINA was established as a friendly stable Power and that

Navy.

it would be safe and advantageous to take that course. Better

far to "wait and see", maintaining all our rights. During that

period we must be prepared for all kinds of pressure not only

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