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Her ovell PALLIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
10 SEP 1979
DESK OFFICER
No 10.9
REGISTRY Action Taken
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 1247 OF 6 SEPTEMBER 1979
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING.
TOP C
INDEX
PEKING TELNO 772 TO FCO: NEW TERRITORIES LEASES.
1. I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE AMBASSADOR RAISING THE SUBJECT WITH SONG, PROVIDED THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THE DEADLINE OF
MY SPEECH.
2. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CLEAR THIS HURDLE AS SOON AS WE SAFELY CAN, BUT ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD WE RISK A FLAT NO BY PUSHING TOO HARD TOO SOON. A NEGATIVE REPLY COULD BECOME KNOWN HERE AND BE VERY
DAMAGING.
3. ON TIMING, THE CHINESE SHOULD BE IN NO DOUBT THAT OUR AIM IS
TO FORESTALL A SLIDE IN CONFIDENCE. HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE IMPLAUSIBLE TO SUGGEST THERE IS ANY DANGER OF THIS WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR: AND TO MAKE IT APPEAR THAT WE FEEL WE HAVE TO ACT MERE IN OCTOBER WOULD EXCITE SUSPICION OF OVER-ANXIETY AND A
WISH TO BOUNCE THE CHINESE,
4. IF, AS IS QUITE LIKELY, THE CHINESE HAVE NOT YET HAD ENOUGH
TIME TO CONSIDER THE MATTER, I WOULD PREFER TO WAIT A BIT LONGER
I BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER OCTOBER IS STILL ON. OUR STRATEGY IS, AFTER ALL, BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT, IN TIME AND WITH REFLECTION, THE CHINESE WILL COME TO SEE THAT IT IS IN THEIR INTERESTS FOR THIS RATHER NARROW LEGAL PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED IN A WAY WHICH DOES NOT PREJUDGE ANY WIDER POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
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