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[This telegram is of particular secrecy and should be retained by the authorised recipient and not passed on]. (F.) [CYPHER]

No: 933

CABINET DISTRIBUTION

FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO CHUNGKING

19th August, 1945.

7

D. 9. 40 p.m. 19th August, 1945.

Repeated to Washington No. 8580,

}

Supreme Allied Command South East Asia

(Mr. Dening) No. 382. (Immediate).

*

MOST IMMEDIATE

11111

TOP SECRET

My telegram No. 922 [of August 18th].

Following is passage relating to Hong Kong in top secret and personal telegram from Prime Minister to President Truman of August 18th regarding the General Order of Surrender referred to in your telegram No. 856.

(Begins)

I am in general agreement with your order which is now being examined in detail, Meanwhile I have the following comments about Hong Kong.

Chiang Kai-shek is claiming that Hong Kong is in the area in which Japanese forces are to surrender to him as Generalissimo of the China theatre. While we are proposing to inform Chiang Kai-shek that we shall welcome the presence of a representative of his on the occasion of the acceptance of the surrender of Japanese forces in Hong Kong, we cannot accept any interpretation of General Order No. 1 as meaning that Hong Kong, which is British territory, is included in the expression "within China".

As has already been notified to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chinese Government, a British Naval Force is now on its way to release Hong Kong from Japanese occupation, to bring aid to prisoners and internees situated in the Colony and to restore the British administration. It may be that the Japanese commanders on the spot may regard Hong Kong as being "within China", and I therefore request you to instruct the Allied Supreme Commander, General of the Army MacArthur to order the Japanese High Command to ensure that the Japanese local commanders in the British Colony of Hong Kong shall surrender to the Commander of the British Naval Force on his arrival. (Ends).

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