CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT 'A'
KABUL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 161
TO FOREIGN OFFICE
4 JULY 1968.
CONFIDENTIAL.
YRTEL NO 350 TO BERNE: BRITISH MISSION, PEKING.
CHINESE MISSION HERE HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF A 3RD SECRET-
ARY FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS OR MORE AND I DO NOT THINK
THAT AFGHAN INFLUENCE IN PEKING AMOUNTS TO A ROW OF
BEANS. MOREOVER, AFGHANS TREAD EXTREMELY WARILY
IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH CHINESE AND WOULD BE VERY RELUCT-
ANT TO TAKE ANY ACTION WHICH LATTER MIGHT REGARD AS
UNFRIENDLY.
638
•
2. FOR ANY HOPE OF SUCCESS IT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL THAT WE
COULD PERSUADE AFGHANS THAT THEY WOULD BE IN RESPECTABLE
AFRO ASIAN COMPANY, RESULTS OF APPROACHES IN MIDDLE
EASTERN CAPITALS TO WHICH YRTEL WAS ADDRESSED ARE
LIKELY TO BE PARTICULARLY RELEVANT. I CONSIDER THAT
AN APPROACH TO THE AFGHAN GOVT. SHOULD BE POSTPONED
UNTIL THEY CAN BE ASSURED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY
ARAB, HAVE ALREADY BEEN LINED UP.
SIR. G. WHITTERIDGE
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