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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.588^ TO FCO
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TO BRING ABOUT THAT IMPROVEMENT, BUT THE CHINESE ARE NOT LIKELY. TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN ANY FIELD OF SUBSTANTIAL CONCERN TO THEM IN WHICH QUOTE SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS UNQUOTE EXIST OTHER THAN OVER HONG KONG, AND NO DOUBT FIND IT DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE WE DO EITHER. THE PHRASE, TO CHINESE MINDS, AND REMEMBERING THEIR BRAHMINICAL SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, CAN ONLY MEAN THAT H.M.G.
AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE SUGGESTING THAT THEY WOULD BE
PREPARED TO OFFER MORE. FOR THESE REASONS, I BELIEVE REITERATION
OF THIS PHRASE IS DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
7. NEXT, I BELIEVE THAT, RATHER THAN SPEAKING FORMALLY, WE SHOULD SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING INTO ANY CONVERSATION PHRASES
WHICH MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO OFFER. WE
SHOULD COUPLE CONTINUED DEMANDS FOR PROPER ACCESS TO IMPRISONED
BRITISH SUBJECTS WITH FIRM REJECTION OF ANY SUGGESTION THAT
HONG KONG IS IN ANY WAY RELEVANT TO THEIR CASES: POINTING OUT
THAT IF THEY CONSIDER IT (UNDERLINE NEXT WORD) IS RELEVANT, THEN THEY ARE ADMITTING THAT THE BRITISH SUBJECTS ARE INNOCENT
HOSTAGES. WE SHOULD REPRESENT THE SITUATION HERE AS LARGELY
SATISFACTORY AND NORMAL, APART FROM MISDEMEANOURS BY
INDIVIDUALS WHICH WILL BE DEALT WITH: TAKING THE LINE THAT WE HAVE
NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE TO RAISE WITH THEM OVER HONG KONG AND HAVE
NO REASON TO DISCUSS IT.
8. FINALLY I CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD INDICATE TO THEM
WHENEVER AND HOWEVER WE CAN THAT THE DIFFERENCES OF VIEW ON QUOTE
CONCESSIONS UNQUOTE, WHICH THEY IMAGINE TO EXIST BETWEEN US,
ARE ILLUSORY SEMI COLON AND ARE NOT OPEN TO EXPLOITATION BY THEM. THROUGHOUT, OUR AIM SHOULD NOW BE TO FORESTALL FURTHER DEMANDS
BEFORE THEY ARE MADE AND TO DO NOTHING WHICH MIGHT ENCOURAGE
THEM. ONCE MADE, AN UNDESIRABLE DEADLOCK WILL HAVE ARISEN WHICH IS FAR BETTER AVOIDED.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED].
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