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(V1) Provided that there are adequate rice supplies from Thailand and some such rice producing area, and that sea and land transport are made available, the feeding of Hong Kong should not present any abnormal difficulties,
Food Controller
Ex-Internees Administration
August September 1945.
NOTE ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
In the above report it has been assumed that the policy of the Chinese Government towards Hong Kong would be the same as before the war. In short, no obstacles were placed in the way of complete free trade between Hong Kong and China in foodstuffs. Kwong Chow Wan was then French leased territory. It is not known what the attitude of the. Chinese Government will be in the future. Two aspects should be recognised. First, the Chinese Government may adopt a policy of preserving the food supplies of South East China for its own nationals and prohibit (as the Kwantung Goverment did during the occupation of Hong Kong) the transport of rice and other foodstuffs to Hong Kong.
It is essential that political contact with the Kwantung Government should be established and maintained on the closest possible basis. It must be emphasised that South China is Hong Kong's larder and that Hong Kong's access to that larder must in no way be prejudiced,
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