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CONFIDENOTATA
Sir Record of Talks
see HWB4/, ANNEX NOT- же нови
Tactics of Chinese Negotiatiors at Hong Kong
Forder Talks
The following are thoughts on Chinese negotiating tactics
inspired by a perusal of the record of the Hong Kong border talks
held at Shumchun in November, 1967.
during the period 1 - 25 November.
There were ten meetings
Though these discussions were
on a local level, with a relatively low-ranking official on the
Chinese side (1.e. not a representative of the central government
or of the Canton Provincial authorities), the Chinese delegation
clearly received instructions on tactics in the course of
negotiations from their superiors. Some attempts to generalise
from our impressions of the talks may therefore be justified.
2.
It is perhaps a misnomer to refer to the talks as
"negotiations" since the Chinese were clearly determined to regard
them as discussions on the implementation of the demands of the
Chinese Foreign Ministry on the border question. They agreed to
substitute "points" for "demands" at one stage (second meeting page 2) but maintained throughout a dictatorial attitude on the
basic issues, the only real negotiations being on relatively minor
questions of the amount of "compensation", the time limit for the
removal of the wire fence, and the arrangements for the exchange
of detainees.
3. It is interesting that the Chinese played their main cară
(the 3 capture Hong Kong policemen) at the first meeting. Bhat they offered at the end of the first day's talks (first meeting,
page 12) is in substance what was achieved after ten meetings,
This was agreed the next dey
more than three weeks later.
f
CONFIDENTIAL
/(second meeting)