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I said that I thought that we would probably try to continue to get out people whose departure was necessary on health grounds; for the rest it looked increasingly as if many were in for a good long stay.
3.
An alternative which we discussed was an Indonesian solution whereby all Chinese staff from London were removed in exchange for the removal of our diplomats from Peking. Quite apart from the undesirability of our closing down our Mission, both Donald and I felt that the Chinese would have so little interest in the welfare of their own people in Peking that they would be perfectly happy to leave them for ever in London while continuing to equate the condition of our staff with their demands in relation to Hong Kong.
4. I am sending a copy of this letter to Anthony Elliott in Hong Kong and Reg Hibbert in Singapore and I attach a spare copy in case you wish to pass it to Peking.
Yours ever,
Michal hilfor
(K.M.Wilford)
CONFIDENTIAL