HER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE OTTAWA
TELEGRAM NO. 656
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63
23AFKIY0/
(95
SECRET
11401/17
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
19 MAY 1967
SECRET
ADDSD TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 656 OF 19 MAY RFI HONG KONG CANBERRA WASHINGTON PEKING AND POLAD SINGAPORE.
YOUR TELEGRAM 1464.
KOWLOON DISTURBANCES.
IN VIEW OF IMPENDING LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND HERE WE ASKED DEA IF THERE WAS ANYTHING IN REPORT THAT CANADIANS WERE RECONSIDERING THEIR WHEAT DEALS (HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.638 TO CO). THEY SAID THERE WAS NO REPT NO FOUNDATION FOR REPORT.
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2. OUR OWN VIEW IS THAT CANADIANS WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER A REQUEST FROM US FOR A GESTURE OF SOLIDARITY, BUT FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS SEEM RELEVANT:-
(A) THERE ARE NO CHINESE/CANADIAN DISCUSSIONS GOING ON AT PRESENT, UNDERSTAND TRADITIONAL PATTERN IS THAT CHINESE TURN TO CANADA AFTER THEY HAVE TALKED WITH AUSTRALIA:
(B) ANY GESTURE OF ADMINISTRATIVE DELAY THEY COULD MAKE WOULD PROBABLY NOT SHOW EFFECT FOR SOME TIME:
(C) IN PAST CANADIANS HAVE REGARDED FOOD AS LAST THING TO BE BROUGHT INTO PLAY AS A POLITICAL PRESSURE:
UNDERSTAND QUESTION OF FOOD SUPPLIES DID NOT ARISE IN CONNECTION WITH PAST DIFFICULTIES WITH CHINA, E. G. DURING THEIR ATTACK ON INDIA: (D) THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING ABOUT OUR TRADE AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN CHINA:
(E) MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON OUR ASSESSMENT OF SERIOUSNESS OF THREAT TO FUTURE OF HONG KONG,
CO PASS HONG KONG M101 CANBERRA 3 PEKING M102 POLAD SINGAPORE M103
SIR H LINTOTT
SENT AT 1940/19 MAY 1967
RECD AT 1941/19 MAY 1967
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
[COPIES SENT TO NO. 10 DOWNING STREET]
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O.
F.E. & P.D.
SENT TO HONG KONG AS COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.) TELEGRAM
NOT D
F.O. F.E.D.
FFFFF ERW
983.
SECRET