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the Chinese to talk to us about Hong Kong without loss of
face and, if they respond reasonably, we should be able to
avoid a humiliating withdrawal.
74. The precise manner in which the approach might be made
and the channel to be used would, of course, require the
most careful detailed examination. But if, through a
reliable intermediary, we could by these indirect means,
(as opposed to direct negotiations) clarify our position
to the Chinese, there is some hope that, having considered
it carefully, they might come up with a sensible response in
the end and that some entirely covert understanding might be
reached.
Prospects for a Negotiated Solution or Understanding with the Chinese
75. The prospects that the Chinese would respond with any
reasonable degree of co-operation to an initiative on our
part to reach some agreement or understanding on withdrawal
must depend very much on:-
(a) Whether it suited their policy at that time to take
the Colony over and, if it did, what their "interest"
was in getting it back. If we chose a time that did
not suit either their economic or political
A
objectives, we could expect them to maximise their
demands upon us and to seek to ensure that we left
in utter confusion and in the most humiliating
conditions. If our withdrawal did suit their policy,
their reaction might vary from an uncompromising
statement of their terms if they wanted to extract
a propaganda and prestige advantage to a reasonable
negotiating posture if they were genuinely anxious,
/for
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