camis the risk of seron's
seriously damage Sino-British relations.
The
Chinese have already made a major shift in policy
by renouncing violence and virtually admitting that
last year's campaign was a failure. We think it
unlikely that the repetition of a few widely known
"historical" facts will bring about a radical
reassessment of their policy. Nor do we think that
the report by itself will create a new obstacle to
the improvement of Sino British relations in the
way that a serious incident in Hong Kong almost
certainly would. You yourself have no doubt assessed
the effect of your present text on the local
communists.
2. We therefore agree that the report should be
published with the amendments contained in your
telegram under reference with two small additional
changes:
(a) At the beginning of the second paragraph on
page 13 we would prefer the words "constant
raids were mounted" to be replaced by "action
was taken against".
(b)
In the fourth paragraph on page 11 we doubt if
it would be prudent to include the words
"and indeed throughout confrontation this
force has been more concerned to prevent such
incidents than to foment them". They might
be seized on by the extremists in Kwangtung
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
as evidence of lack of revolutionary zeal on the part of the Peoples Lefervention Anuy
and used as a means of pressing the P.L.A.
on the border
into playing a trouble-making role/in future.
Departmental
032717 E.W.& S., Ltd. 164m 3/67.
dist
Pla issue
5
14/2/68