CONFIDENTIAL
FOREIGN OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 629 TO PEKING
- 2 ou
BY THE BRITISH HAD BEEN STEPPED UP RATHER THAN DIMINISHED UNQUOTE. HONG KONG HAD ALWAYS BEEN CHINESE TERRITORY EVEN THOUGH BRITISH IMPERIALISM HAD OCCUPIED IT FOR THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS. MANY BLOOD DEBTS HAD BEEN INCURRED AND THESE MUST BE REPAID, THOSE WHO OPPOSED CHINA WOULD COME TO NO GOOD END AND QUOTE WERE ONLY LIFTING UP A STONE TO DROP IT ON THEIR OWN FEET UNQUOTE.
3
DE LA MARE SAID IT WAS A SHAME THAT THE CHINESE VOCABULARY APPEARED TO BE SO LIMITED. WE HAD ALREADY HEARD SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT DROPPING STONES ON OUR FEET AND COMING TO NO GOOD END. GETTING IN WITH THE LAST WORD AS HE LEFT THE ROOM, SHEN PING SAID THAT WE HAD SO FAR PAID NO ATTENTION TO ALL THE CHINESE PROTESTS, THE CHINESE MEANT WHAT THEY SAID AND IT WAS THEIR WORDS WHICH WOULD COUNT IN THE END.
THE WHOLE EXCHANGE WAS IN A MODERATELY LOW KEY AND SHEN P'ING WAS, AS USUAL, FAIRLY RELAXED BEFORE AND AFTER.
SOSFA
SENT 17272 18 JULY
FO/CO/WH DISTRIBUTION
FAR EASTERN DEPT.
CONFIDENTIAL
SENT TO HONG KONG AS COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.) TELEGRAM NO. 1477