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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 387 TO FOREIGN OFFICE
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3
WIS
ON THIS OCCASION NOT TO PURSUE THIS FURTHER ON THE LINES
OF MY TELEGRAM 344. CONTACT THOUGHT THE SUGGESTION WORTHY OF LATER
CONSIDERATION.
CV) CONTACT CLAIMED THAT WHEN LI HAD FIRST APPROACHED HIM ON THIS
MATTER, LI HAD BEEN MOST ANXIOUS THAT TALKS SHOULD SOON BE
STARTED BUT THAT AT LI'S SECOND MEETING WITH CONTACT LI HAD STRESSED
THAT THERE WAS NO GREAT NEED TO HURRY. LI APPARENTLY EXPLAINED
HIS EARLIER ENTHUSIASM BY SAYING THAT ORIGINALLY THE HOPE WAS
THAT SOME BRITISH BUSINESSMEN MIGHT BE INVITED, AS A GESTURE, TO
ATTEND THE CANTON SPRING TRADE FAIR AFTER MEANINGFUL TALKS IN HONG
KONG HAD STARTED. (COMMENT. THIS EXPLANATION OF THE ANXIETY THAT
LI IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SHOWN IS SCARCELY CREDIBLE: IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT LI HIMSELF, OR PERHAPS HIS SUPERIORS IN PEKING, FELT THAT THEY
WERE APPEARING OVER ANXIOUS FOR SOME FORM OF SETTLEMENT AND THERE-
FORE DECIDED TO ADOPT A MORE CASUAL APPROACH).
5. DURING DISCUSSIONS CATER TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS THAT
ANY DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE TWO-WAY AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE REQUESTS
OF OUR OWN TO PUT FORWARD INCLUDING SUCH AS:-
(1) AN UNDERTAKING TO GET THE LOCAL COMMUNIST PRESS UNDER
12.
PROPER CONTROL, OPERATING WITHIN THE LAW AND ESCHEWING ALL SUBVERSIVE
ACTIVITY:
(11) PROPER TREATMENT OF ALL BRITISH NATIONALS IN CHINA:
111) THE EMPLOYMENT IN NCNA OF MODERATE PEOPLE WHO COULD BE
RELIED UPON TO REPORT ACCURATELY UPON EVENTS IN HONG KONG.
CONTACT FULLY ACCEPTED THE REASONING BEHIND (111) AND HIMSELF
STRESSED THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE LEADERSHIP
IN THE NCNA. HE FELT IT WOULD BE QUITE FATAL TO ALLOW THE DISCUSSIONS
TO GET INTO THEIR HANDS.
6.
THE POSITION NOW IS THAT THE CONTACT WILL BE REPORTING BACK TO
LI CHOH-CHIH. CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD PREFER TO SAY NO MORE
THAN THAT HE HAD HAD AN UNOFFICIAL GENERAL DISCUSSION WITH CATER
/ WHO HAD
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