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4.
LAST MAY WE WERE FACED WITH A DELIBERATE AND UNREASONABLE
ASSAULT. WE COULD HAVE EITHER GIVEN. WAY, IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO DO SO STRAIGHT AWAY: OR WE COULD HAVE PUT UP A TOKEN RESISTANCE AND BEEN FORCED INTO GRADUAL SUBSERVIANCE: OR WE COULD HAVE FOLLOWED OUR NORMAL POLICY AND OPPOSED THE COMMUNIST ASSAULT AS FIRMLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE HAVING REGARD TO THE DANGER OF CPG INTERVENTION AND THE EXPOSED POSITION OF THE MISSION IN PEKING. YOU WILL RECALL THAT FOLLOWING SIP ARTHUR GALSWORTHY'S VISIT IN MAY 1967, THIS LAST COURSE WAS CONFIRMED BY MINISTERS. IT HAS AT LEAST TEMPORARILY PAID OFF - WHATEVER THE REASON FOR THIS MAY BE.
5. WE ARE STILL FACED LOCALLY WITH UNREASONABLE PRESSURE AND
A CONTINUING THREAT IN BOTH THE LONG TERM AND IN THE SHORT ALTHOUGH THE SHORT TERM THREAT MAY NOT CURRENTLY BE TOO SEVERE. I CONSIDER IT SHOULD STILL BE OUR POLICY TO CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THIS THREAT AND REDUCE IT BY WHATEVER MEANS LIE IN OUR POWER,
WHILE ALSO CONTINUING OF COURSE TO HAVE REGARD TO THE DANGERS OF
CPG INTERVENTION AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS
GENERALLY: AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE. IN MY VIEW, IF WE NOW FOLLOWED
ANY OTHER MORE MARKEDLY SUBMISSIVE COURSE WE WOULD THEN BE CHANGING
OUR POLICY.
6.
NATURALLY THE POLICY DESCRIBED REQUIRES CARE AND THE AVO I DANCE
OF EXCESSIVE PROVOCATION: AND IN THIS AS IN MANY OTHER SITUATIONS
HERE OVER THE YEARS FINE JUDGEMENTS ARE REQUIRED AS TO HOW FAR ONE
CAN SAFELY GO. THERE CAN BE SEVERAL OPINIONS ON THIS IN ANY PART- ICULAR SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT IS A BALANCING ACT IN WHICH
WE ARE NOT INEXPERIENCED.
7. IT IS PERHAPS HERE, I THINK, THAT MY TELEGRAM 832 MAY HAVE GIVEN A FALSE IMPRESSION. I CONTINUE TO THINK THAT IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES WE CAN SAFELY DEREGISTER CHUNG WAH, WHERE WE ARE ON FAIRLY STRONG GROUND: THAT WE OUGHT ON THE WHOLE TO DO SO: AND THAT WE CAN FACE ANY MUSIC THERE MAY BE LOCALLY. ONLY THE POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS ON THE GENERAL POSITION OF THE MISSION
DETERS ME AND THIS IS NOT FOR ME TO ASSESS. I AM QUITE READY TO
RECONSIDER IF IT IS THOUGHT TO BE CLEARLY NECESSARY.
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