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I spoke to you on Friday about Leslie Smith's exchange of messages with Fei Yi-ming during his recent 3-day visit to Hong Kong. I asked him to put it down on paper which he has now done. I am sorry that he was not able to let you have this sooner but his wife is seriously ill in hospital and he has been difficult to get hold of.
2.
The initiative to write to Fei was entirely his and he did not consult the Political Adviser nor was there time to pass on Fei's reply before he left Hong Kong. However, Fei clearly interpreted Leslie Smith's letter as an officially inspired approach and responded with
No doubt the a general invitation of negotiations.
Hong Kong Government can evaluate this in the light of previous exchanges of this kind in which Leslie Smith has been the intermediary.
3. I might add that Mr. Smith has tended to have a somewhat exaggerated view of his importance as a go-between with the communists in Hong Kong. This again is known to the Political Adviser and Special Branch.
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fwilson
(C.' Wilson)
10 June, 1968
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