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HE
CYPHER/CAT A PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 855
SECRET
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
5 JULY 1968
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 855 OF 5TH JULY RFI PEKING.
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RECEIVED 'IN ARCHIVES No. 63,
- 5 JUL 1968
HWD 9/1
PEKING TELEGRAM 62: CHUNG WAH SCHOOL AND POLICY IN HONG KONG. RATHER THAN COMMENT IN DETAIL ON THIS TELEGRAM, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL IF I MADE ONE OR TWO GENERAL POINTS.
2. THE TELEGRAM UNDER PEFERENCE SEEMS TO ME TO DISCLOSE SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND I AM SORRY IF MY RECENT TELEGRAMS ON THIS AND RELATED SUBJECTS, ENDING WITH MY TELEGRAM 832. LEFT ANY FALSE IMPRESSIONS.
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3. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO PROPOSE ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN POLICY. OUR BASIC ATTITUDE HERE SINCE 1949 HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO BE FLEXIBLE WHENEVER (WORD OMITTED) CHINESE COMMUNIST SUSCEPTIBILITIES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, AND TO ENDEAVOUR TO ACCOMMODATE OURSELVES TO THEM SO FAR AS WE COULD SEE OUR WAY TO DOING SO. DELIBERATE AND UNNECESSARY PROVOCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN AVOIDED. BUT EQUALLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS RESISTED FIRMLY AND TO THE VERY BEST OF OUR ABILITY ATTEMPTS AT GROSSLY UN REASONABLE OR OPPRESSIVE ACTIONS ON THEIR PART. WE HAVE ALWAYS HELD THAT TO BE OVER-PLIANT IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES WAS ONLY LIKELY TO LEAD TO ADDITIONAL PRESSURE: BUT THAT OPPOSITION, WHEN NECESSARY AND TO WHATEVER DEGREE WAS POSSIBLE IN THE CURRENT SITUATION, EVEN IN THE FACE OF SOME RISK, WAS MOPE LIKELY TO LEAD TO A MODIFICATION OF COMMUNIST ATTITUDES. OVER THE YEARS, AND CN NUMEROUS ISSUES, SOME FAIRLY TRIVIAL, SOME LESS SO, WE HAVE I THINK PROVED THE VALIDITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS POLICY: EVEN THOUGH IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE, AS IT IS NOW, THAT THE CPG COULD OVERPOWER US ON ANY PRETEXT WHENEVER THEY LIKED AND HOWEVER CONCILIATORY WE WERE.
Colors sent
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