NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
PA.
ян
Dd. 32855 Ed (4200)
8.2.68.
CONFIDENTIAL
657
Present Prospects of Improving Relations
with China
It is abundantly clear from recent
telegrams from Peking and Hong Kong about the
proposal for de-registering the Chung Wah
School in Hong Kong and about American naval
visits, that we have reached a point of acute
disagreement between Sir Donald Hopson and
Sir David Trench about the aims of our policy
towards China and about the likely effect upon
C
the prospects of improving Sino-British relations,
of measures which the Governor considers
?
necessary to maintain the authority of the
The role of the Foreign
Hong Kong Government.
Office and the Commonwealth Office in this
situation is to weigh carefully and
sympathetically the arguments advanced on both
sides and to issue a clear directive setting
out H.M.G. s reasons and their assessment of
the principal factors involved.
2.
It would not be profitable to set about
this by examining each argument and counter-
argument and attempting to strike a balance
between them. We should begin by stating what
we believe broadly to be the policies and
intentions of the Chinese Government towards
Great Britain and Hong Kong a difficult enough
exercise in all conscience and one to be
approached modestly and with all due reserve.
This might be formulated as follows:-
(a) China is not at present interested in
placing her relations with Britain upon
/a