CONFIDENTIAL
society on Chinese territory must be an embarrassment to Peking.
The Russians continue to tease the Chinese on this point, but
the Chinese have so far stood up to them firmly.
Chinese Official Representation in Hong Kong
5. Early in 1971, Chou En-lai revived the Chinese proposal
(which the Chinese had originally made in 1956) for the establishment
of an official representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Hong Kong. There was lengthy discussion of the Chinese
proposal during the visits to Peking in 1972 of Mr Royle and the
Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. Both Mr Royle and Sir Alec
Douglas-Home told the Chinese that we could not accept their
proposal. They took the line that the present semi-official
contacts between the Hong Kong Government and representative in
Hong Kong of Chinese organisation (such as the New China News
Agency) provided adequate channels of communication, and that
the establishment of an official representative of the Chinese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs could disturb the situation in
Hong Kong which was one of great delicacy. The Chinese argued
the contrary case and claimed that any official representative
would not concern himself with politics. The Foreign and
Commonwealth Secretary promised to give the matter further thought and to
reply to the Chinese Foreign Minister in due course. We have not
yet done so. This is a sensitive subject, knowledge of which is
being restricted both in Whitehall and Hong Kong.
Situation on the Border
6.
The border has remained relatively calm since the
3
CONFIDENTIAL
/disturbances