CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY
TELNO 440
TOP
1
TOF DEU ET
2
427
TO
COMMO WEALTH OFFICE
6 APRIL 1968
TOP COPY
SECRET
ADDRESSED. TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 440 OF 6 APRIL
REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING, POLAD SINGAPORE AND WASHINGTON
A
401
MY TELEGRAM NO. 387:
SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS
CATER MET CONTACT AGAIN ON 3RD APRIL. CONTACT, WHO APPEARED MUCH
MORE CONFIDENT THAN LAST WEEK, SAID THAT LI CHOH CHIH HAD VISITED
HIM ON 31ST MARCH TO RECEIVE A REPORT OF PREVIOUS MEETING. LI HAD
STARTED BY SAYING THAT 'THEY' WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN SO LONG TO RESPOND TO INITIAL APPROACH,
THOUGH THEY HAD EXPECTED US TO BE RATHER LUKEWARM, THEY HAD THOUGHT
WE WOULD REPLY QUICKER.
2. LI HAD THEN TOLD CONTACT THAT THOUGH THERE WAS ORIGINALLY SOME
URGENCY ABOUT APPROACH, THIS WAS NO LONGER THE CASE. URGENCY AROSE
FROM ALLEGED FACT THAT AT SOME UNSPECIFIED DATE IN RECENT PAST
CHOU EN-LAI HAD LEARNED THAT A CHINESE ARMY TO THE NORTH OF HONG
KONG HAD BEEN MAKING PREPARATIONS TO COME TO THE ASSISTANCE OF THEIR
'PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS' IN COLONY. THE POLITICAL COMMISSAR HAD
FORTUNATELY REPORTED THIS SEMI-COLON AND THE MILITARY HAD BEEN
RESTRAINED BY CHOU WHO HAD SAID SUCH ACTION WOULD BE A 'BIG MISTAKE!
CHOU WAS MOST ANXIOUS THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A MISTAKE SHOULD
BE ELIMINATED SEMI-COLON AND THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD
REALISE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PERIOD OF DANGER AND THAT THE SOONER
THE HONG KONG SITUATION WAS CLEARED UP THE BETTER. CHOU HAD ALSO
ALLEGEDLY COMMENTED THAT SUCH A SMALL MATTER AS THAT OF HONG KONG
SHOULD NOT HAVE BECOME THE CONCERN OF THE PRIME MINISTER ITSELF; BUT 1T HAD.
ins
8.4.68
TOP SEGRE T
13. LI