Hong Kong’s “New Territories” from 1898 to 1997. Due to its status as a leased territory still in existence after 1922, Kouang Tchéou was the only French postal entity in China to issue airmail stamps and semi-postal stamps, although most of these were issued by the government of Vichy France. Due to war-time conditions and to the fact that the colonial authorities in Kouang Tchéou did not recognize the Vichy government, Vichy-issued stamps for Kouang Tchéou were never placed in use there. French postal operations in Kouang-Tchéou continued until 1943, when the colony was occupied by the Japanese army. Although France resumed sovereignty briefly over the colony for a few months at the end of the Second World War the territory was returned to China in early 1946. References Sources Stanley Gibbons Ltd: various catalogues Yvert et Tellier: various catalogues AskPhil – Glossary of Stamp Collecting Terms Encyclopaedia of Postal History Stuart Rossiter & John Flower: The Stamp Atlas Postage stamps of France Postal system of France Philately of China China–France relations 1862 establishments in China