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4. PARA 2(C): ** WHY WE HAD NOT SOUGHT TALKS BEFORE CRISIS HIT US'', TOO CATACLISMIC A CONCEPT. IN ANY CASE SUBJECT HAS BEEN RAISED AT SEVERAL HIGH LEVEL MEETINGS SINCE 1979 AND CHINESE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BRUSHED IT ASIDE, WHILE NEVERTHELESS GIVING ENCOURAGING GENERAL ASSURANCES. IF NECESSARY WE COULD SAY SO IN
SPITE OF DIPLOMATIC EVASION OF QUESTIONS SO FAR.
5. PARA 3 : ''EXCLUDE MFA. NO SUCH SUGGESTION. OBVIOUSLY
NECESSARY TO CARRY HUANG HUA WITH US. CERTAINLY S OF S SHOULD DISCUSS WITH HIM. BUT A DIRECTIVE FROM DENG IS THE PREREQUISITE TO SUCCESSFUL TALKS AT OFFICIAL LEVEL WITH MFA, DO NOT BELIEVE TALKS WITH MFA WOULD LEAD TO HUANG HUA BECOMING OUR ADVOCATE WITH DENG UNLESS LATTER HAD ALREADY INDICATED HE WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO DETAILS OF NEW ARRANGEMENT WHEN WORKED OUT WITH MFA. N.B.
I SUPPOSE IT IS JUST POSSIBLE THAT DENG MIGHT DIRECT LIAO CHENGZHI, DIRECTOR OF HK/MACAO OFFICE, RATHER THAN MFA TO CONDUCT NEGOTIATIONS 6. PARA 41 ''REBUFF''. AS STATED IN MY TELNC 115 PARA 2, REAL DANGER IS IN CRYING WOLF TOO SOON. BUT SHOULD NOT UNDERRATE DANGER OF ENTERING INTO TALKS AT OFFICIAL LEVEL AGAINST AN INAUSPICIOUS BACKGROUND, GETTING NOWHERE, AND THIS LEAKING. THIS IS THE SORT OF ''REBUFF'' THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS NOT DENG SAYING NO IF S OF S SUGGESTED TALKS.
MACLEHOSE
*
LIMITED HD/HK&GD
HD/FED
PS
PS/LPS
PS/MR BLAKER
FS/FUS
SIR E YOUDE
MR DONALD
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