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FM HONG KONG #61313Z
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9 JUNE, RESZED lif
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12 JUN 1972
HICK 3/XP
TO IMEDIATE FCO TELNO 434 OF 6 JUNE INFO PEKING WASHINGTON.
FOLLOWING FROM PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE.
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1. YOU MAY FIND IT USEFUL TO HAVE AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF MY PRINCIPAL IMPRESSIONS BEFORE 1 REPORT TO YOU PERSONALLY ON MY VISIT TO CHINA.
2. I SPENT 14 HOURS TALKING TO CHIAO KUAR-HUA AND ANOTHER TWO TALKING TU CHI PENG-FET. EVEN ALLOWING FOR THE TIME TAKEN UP BY INTERPRETATION, THIS IS LONG: AND CERTAINLY LONGER THAN I HAD EXPECTED. I DID NOT IN THE END MEET CHOU EN-LAI, EVEN THOUGH THE CHINESE VENT ON HINTING UP TO THE END THAT A MEETING MIGHT BE ARRANGED. HE MAY HAVE HAD SOME SPECIAL COMMITMENT. THERE WERE SIGNS ON MY LAST EVENING IN PEKING THAT SOMETHING UNUSUAL WAS GOING ON,
3. DURING MY TALKS WITH CH'IAO, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS GOOD THROUGHOUT CH'AO EXPLAINED MANY CHINESE POLICIES IN FAMILIAR
TERMS, AND DID NOT HESITATE TO CRITICISE US, HE NEVER RESORTED TO THE LANGUAGE OF PROPAGANDA OR POLEMIC. HE WAS HIMSELF IMPRESSIVE. HE SPOKE THROUGHOUT WITHOUT NOTES, WAS ALWAYS ARTICULATE AND NEVER CONTRADICTED HIMSELF OR GOT MUDDLED. IT CAME ACROSS VERY CLEARLY THAT THE CURRENT BACKGROUND TO CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY IS CHINA'S FEAR OF THE TWO SUPER-POVERS (ESPECIALLY THE SOVIET UNION) AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, OF JAPAN. CHINA CLEARLY FEARS A MILITARY ATTACK BY THE SOVIET UNION.
4. CH'IAO AND I DISCUSSED INDO-CHINA AT LENGTH. HE SPOKE IN
LOW KEY THROUGHCUT. BUT IT EMERGED QUITE CLEARLY THAT CHINA IS AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT TO REACTIVATE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE. I HAVE THE STRONG IMPRESSION THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ALSO BE OPPOSED TO ANY EFFORT TO ORGANISE A GENEVA-TYPE CONFERENCE. BUT CH'IAO MADE IT CLEAR THAT CHINA WANTS A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT AND HOPES THAT
THE PARIS TALKS WILL MAKE ONE POSSIBLE.
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