5.
The British Embassy at Peking has recently pointed out that similar publicity immediately following such visits is nearly as bad, but the likelihood is that if the American Commander-in-Chief were asked to forego such publicity in addition to that referred to above, he would probably say that he could abide by the limit of 30 days if we did not mind thiệ being 15 days before and 15 days after a visit. Our Embassy in Washington have enquired whether such a suggestion would be acceptable to us. The reaction of the Governor, Hong Kong) and of our Peking Embassy to this suggestion is awaited, but subject to any views they may have it would seen a reasonable line to take if the Americans were in fact to put it forward.
DANG.
AV. Gaminara)
10th April, 1967.
The above was
discussed
Mr Carter, before he left.
Mr. Gaminara
*
agrund
writ
On the question of numbers, I would be content
with X in paragraph 4 of your minute. We shall have
to refer this to the Minister of State for her
agreement, but I think it best that we should put
this to her at the same time as we put the other
issue, namely that of publicity.
2.
On this, I wonder whether we might not ask the
Governor of Hong Kong for his comments on the
telegram from Washington at No. 81? It is possible that he may be waiting to see what we or Peking may
have to say. But as five days have now elapsed since the Foreign Office telegram, I would think it
worth while sending a brief telegram asking for his
comments (and the Foreign Office might feel inclined to send a similar brief telegram to Peking). Subject to what the Governor and Ambassador may say, I think 'my own feeling is that we ought certainly to try to
persuade the Americans to agree to more than a total
of 30 days during which they would observe a self-
denying ordinance with regard to publicity. I don't much care for the proposition that the present period of 30 days should be broken down into two periods of
15 days, on either side of the visit. It seems to
me that 30 days without publicity is very much better than 15 days before a visit takes place. Since it is
very much in the interests of the Americans themselves
that