consider re-negotiating the 99-year lease on the New Territories, transforming it into a permanent cession: this was rejected in London. 1937-45
Sino-Japanese War.
1941
Fall of Hong Kong: Japanese occupation.
1943
Teheran Conference: Churchill stated the UK’s determination that, after the defeat of Germany and Japan, ‘nothing would be taken away from Britain without a war’— specially ... Hong Kong’.10
1945
Hong Kong restored to the British; End of Second World War.
1946
British Embassy’s annual report: Ambassador Ralph Stevenson indicated that Hong Kong was the only major potential source of friction between Britain and the Republic of China led by Chiang Kai-shek.11
1949
The People’s Liberation Army attacked HMS Amethyst travelling to the British Embassy in Nanjing (20 April). Founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)12 under Mao Zedong and the Communist Party of China (1 October). Colonial Office estimated British capital in Hong Kong to be circa £156m, and believed that it would be act as a bulwark against the future dominance of Japanese commerce in the Far East. Therefore Hong Kong’s loss would prove to be ‘a serious blow’ to the British economy.13
1950
UK recognised the PRC as the government of China and posted a chargé d’affaires ad interim in Peking—the first major Western country to do so (6 January).14 The Group of 48 (subsequently China-Britain Business Council) established by British companies to promote trade. Korean War: UK was part of a United Nations force defending South Korea. China intervened on the side of North Korea. Tibet incorporated into PRC. Battle of Pakchon: Commonwealth Forces in Korea defended Hill 282 against North Korean and Chinese forces. Battle of Chosin Reservoir: Commonwealth Forces defeated.
1951
The Battle of Imjin River: Commonwealth Forced defeated. The Battle of Kapyong: Commonwealth forces hold back Chinese forces. The First Battle of the Hook: Commonwealth forces captured Hill 317 from Chinese.
10
Foreign Relations of the United States, The Conferences at Cairo and Teheran, p 554 http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/FRUS.FRUS1943CairoTehran [accessed 1 Mar. 2013] 11 http://www.cui-zy.cn/Recommended/Landissue/HKJamesTang1945.pdf [accessed 1 Mar. 2013] 12 Throughout this chronology, PRC and China will be used interchangeably, indicating the same. The Republic of China will be referred to as Taiwan. 13 TNA PRO CAB 129/35 CP(49)120. 14 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/china-until-1950.htm#Recognition%20of%20 Communist%20China [accessed 1 Mar. 2013] – list of items at The National Archives of the UK related to the recognition of PRC.
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