FO371-46251 — Page 265

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# 4858/M147/0

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20.5IC? OFFICS, 5.2.1.

August, 1945.

Despatched

216

M.

washington

Telegram

10.

pate.

Cypher. 0.5.P.

Special Political Distribution

Repeat to chu ing

NO.

Mr. Dening,

randy.

NO.

At prosent song song is in the operational

sphere of thing Kai-shek. e have to be prepared

therefore for the contingency of the colony being

liberated by these vorcos.

It is in that event important that we should

be able to abranu the atılaist.ation of this

aritiah Colony as soon as the military situation

allowa, and obtain an area at that from the

outset of any initial period of military

administration our civil Affairs policies should

be accepted and that the civil Affairs

administration should be conducted by British

personnel.

*

3. At present we have no understanding with the-

Chinese Covorment (as e have with the U..

Goverment under para raph 6 of the charter of

the Combined civil Affairs committee) in respect

of their acceptance of British civil affairs

policies in any sritish territory included in

their operational sphere. An embarrassing

situation may therefore apise in the even of

Hong Kong being liberated by Chinese poroes unless

there is clear agreement with Chiang Kai-shek, in

advance, as to our role in the administration of

Hong kong

460 general yedencyer's position as Chief of

staff to the generalissimo is such that any

agreement of is nature and the measures

necessary to implement it, would in practise

require/

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