IMTASTESEMESTRINTING SER
GONFIDENTIAL
14. Where a Nationalist official is Dean or Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in a third country, he should not be invited to official British receptions. The Mission may however respond to an initiative from stich a Dean or Acting Dean, eg by action on information disseminated by him to the Diplomatic Corps, provided the Mission makes clear, if necessary in public, that it is making contact with him in his capacity as Dean or Acting Dean and not as an employee of the Nationalist authorities. This discretion may even extend to accepting an invitation from him as Dean as distinct from Nationalist Ambassador (but not one which involves visiting his Embassy). However where the Head of Mission judges that to accept such an invitation would seriously impair our relations with China, he may at his discretion decline it. Whatever his decision, Far Eastern Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should be informed. Similar considerations apply in posts where eg Defence Attaches have a group of their own with a Dean.
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5
CONFIDENΤΙΑΙ
DENIS GREENHILL
A