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(D. T.D.)
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IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO . COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
no 1662.
SECRET
8 November 1967
172) Your telegram No. 2264: Hong Kong Border.
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For the moment it would no doubt be beat to wait for the N.C.N.A. reaction to our latest message, but I do not think we
shall be able to wait indefinitely.
2.
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There are several reasons:
(a)
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There is now a renewed risk of violent incidents at Man Kam To and if we are to resume negotiations it would be much better not to appear to do so as a result of pressure of this sort. ⠀
(b) The story of the negotiations is now gradually leaking to the Press (my telegram No. 1658).-
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(c) The Shum Chun Water Authorities are using the closure of the bridge as an excuse for making difficulties about our water supplies. The Water Agreement specifies that at the beginning of each month we should certify each other's statements of supply over the previous month; (the figures are checked each day, by telephone anyway and there has never been any discrepancy). The exchange of suggestions and documents has traditionally been done at Man Kam To.
The Chinese Water Authorities, still apparently at a relatively low level, are arguing that unless our representative crosses by the Man Kam To Bridge to do this in the usual way,
we shall be in breach of the Water Agreement. Clearly they have no leg to stand on in this' argument and we shall continue to put alternative proposals to them, but in the long run they may use this pretext to make serious trouble about water.
3. I share your doubts about involving Hsinhua too deeply in the detail of arguments on border issues, though it must be said that they have hitherto taken care to stress that they are merely acting as a channel for passing on communications and can take no substantial part in discussions. If the reply to our latest message is in predictably uncommunicative terms, our best plan might be to say that we were prepared to send over representatives at a lower level than our original team to get from the Shum Chun authorities a statement of the points in the original
Message in agreement on which they wish for clarification. paragraph 3 of my telegram No. 1648 could be modified (in the last paragraph) to make this point.
A possible emissary on our side would be the assistant Political Adviser, accompanied by an interpreter.
If he went over we could stipulate that the meeting would not last for more than, e.g. an hour, and he would be instructed merely to take note of what the Chinese side said and to make no comment nor raise any new points. When he came back we could think again about whether further discussions would be justified.
5.
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Alternatively we could agree to a meeting under similar conditions to deliver a message to your border authorities'. Assistant Political Adviser could then merely deliver verbally the message in my telegram 1648 with the last paragraph
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