CONFIDENTIAL
3. I NOTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE A HURER OF AMENDMENTS TO THEIR ORIGINAL PROPOSALS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT BUT SAID THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED AT THE LIMITED ADVANCE THEY HAD MADE. IN VIEW OF THE GREAT POLITICAL CHANGES THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE SINCE MR SONG AND I HAD DISCUSSED THE QUESTION IN OCTOBER 1973 WE ON OUR SIDE HAD OFTEN WONDERED WHETHER A STATEMENT OF ANY KIND WOULD BE NECOED. BUT FROM THE CHINESE RESPONSE IT SEEYED THE MATTER WAS STILL A COMPLICATED ONE WHICH WOULD TAKE TIME TO SOLVE AND WE WERE VERY SHORT OF TIME IF WE WERE GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS BEFORE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY CAME. I WOULD OF COURSE REPORT SONG'S PROPOSALS TO MY GOVERMENT. ON A POINT OF DETAIL, WAS. THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE PROPOSED PUBLIC STATEMENT OBLIGATORY,
4.
SONG REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON THIS LAST POINT AND MERELY REMINDED ME THAT THERE WAS FLEXIBILITY ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THE BRITISH SIDE CHOSE TO MAKE THEIR PUBLIC STATEMENT.
5. COMMENT. THIS IS IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES RATHER DISAPPOINTING. EVERTHELESS WE ARE WITHIN REACH OF A SETTLEMENT. THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES OF THE CHINESE DRAFT PUBLIC STATEMENT SHOULD CAUSE
US NO REAL TROUBLE.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AGRMH.
6. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THEREFORE FOR AUTHORITY TO TELL THE CHINESE:
(A) WE ACCEPT THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES OF THEIR DRAFT PUBLIC STATEMENT, WHICH WE WOULD PROPOSE TO MAKE IN AN ANSWER TO A WRITTEN
PARLI AVENTARY QUESTION.
THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNTIL
UNDER FOI
EXEMPTION NO .27.as d
2
T
CONFIDENTIAL
K(3) WE