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3. I FEEL THEREFORE I MUST MAKE IT CLEAR NOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE OF ANY SUBSTANCE I CAN DO HERE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE
SO FAR TO FIND ANY ACCEPTABLE COVER FOR ADVANCING THE RELEASE OF E NEWSWORKERS. THE CASES OF ALL REMAINING LONG-TERM PRISONERS CANNOT NOW BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE BOARD OF REVIEW, AND I CAN DO NOTHING MORE TO SPEED UP RELEASES SHOULD THIS BE ASKED OF ME. WITH THE LAST OF THE DETAINEES RELEASED AND THE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS PUT BACK INTO COLD STORAGE WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF THE POSITIVE STEPS WE CAN TAKE, ALWAYS ASSUMING THE RETURI OF PRISONERS TO CHINA REMAINS UNACCEPTABLE. MOREOVER, WE HAVE TAKEN THE PUBLIC HERE WITH US TO JUST ABOUT THE LIMITS OF SAFETY BY WAY OF QUOTE CONCESSIONS UNQUOTE IN THE INTERESTS OF GREY SEMI COLON AND WE CANNOT GO ANY FURTHER TO RELIEVE BRITISH SUBJECTS WHOSE PREDICAMENT IS ONLY CONNECTED WITH HONG KONG EVENTS IN THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE REGARDED BY THE CHINESE AS A USEABLE LEVER AGAINST US.
4. IF THEREFORE WE ARE TO AVOID THE DIFFICULT SITUATION WHICH WILL ARISE IF THE CHINESE COMMIT THEMSELVES TO A DEMAND THAT FURTHER CONFRONTATION PRISONERS MUST BE RELEASED BEFORE THEIR DUE DATE, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE TRY TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THEM THAT WE HAVE NO MORE TO OFFER AND ARE CALLING A FIRM HALT.
5. THE QUESTION IS, HOW CAN THIS BE DONE? BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF THAT HONG KONG IS LESS AMENABLE TO PRESSURE THAN H.M.G., I FEAR THAT ANYTHING WE SAY IN HONG KONG MAY NOT CARRY QUITE THE SAME CONVICTION AS REMARKS MADE IN LONDON OR BY THE CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN PEKING, ALTHOUGH THEY COULD DO NO HARM. THERE IS ALSO THE TACTICAL PROBLEM THAT ANYTHING SAID WITH AUTHORITY BY US IN LONDON OR PEKING MAY IMPLY THAT A DEMAND HAS IN FACT BEEN MADE BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND RECOGNISED BY US TO BE SUCH. IN OTHER WORDS IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY ANYTHING WITHOUT APPEARING TO BE MAKING THE OPENING MOVE IN A NEGOTIATION. THERE MAY ALSO BE PROBLEMS IN FINDING AN OCCASION FOR AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT.
6. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE, FIRST, THAT WE SHOULD NOW MODERATE OUR REFERENCES TO QUOTE IMPROVING SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS UNQUOTE. THE PHRASE MAY SEEM UNEXCEPTIONABLE AND REASONABLE TO US AND TO IMPLY THAT IT IS UP TO THE CHINESE TO TAKE STEPS
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