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Macau to entertain the "compatriots", but also it was here to learn from them.
5. The lesson I think is that while the current friendly mood of China lasts, and this in turn depends on the policies being pursued at the centre under the present collective leadership, we are likely to see a relatively relaxed attitude towards the holding of conferences in Hong Kong. We are also likely to see a greater use made of Hong Kong for communist-run spectacles, exhibitions, etc. So I think the "newlook" will have two sides to it. (We had an interesting suggestion several months ago through unofficial channels that Hong Kong might be used to host the Chinese exhibition of cultural relics which has been so successful in London, Paris, Australia, etc. We have successfully ducked this one for the time being, waiting to see what Peking's and the local communist reaction is to our suggestion that the exhibition is so valuable that we could not undertake the security and insurance arrangements; it was therefore up to the Chinese Peoples Government to take that responsibility and put itself in the forefront!)
6. So much for the general point about the use of Hong Kong to the Chinese for these conferences. The guide lines are I think pretty clear and it almost invariably happens that either I or the APA are invited at some stage within the Secretariat to comment on the wisdom of holding big conferences here. In this way there is a political brake which can be applied if necessary. We have quite often suggested conditions, or formulae for the publicity angle to show no surface to ill-wishers.
7.
As for Western Samoa, I would hazard that Chinese interest is stimulated by two thoughts: first, the wish to pre-empt the Soviet Union in influencing islands in the Pacific, and secondly to show tangible evidence of support for newly emerging countries of the third world. Moreover, it would be more convenient for the Chinese to draw the Western Samoans to the edge of China to work their influence upon them here rather than rely, at long range, on the efforts of a relatively small Chinese mission. But both are complementary!
ever,
Yous
Alan.
(A.E.Donald)
copied to:
Chancery, PEKING
Mr I C Orr, FED, FCO Mr M Hime, SWPD, FCo.
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