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4. FINALLY, PARSONS SAID THAT HE WAS INSTRUCTED BY MR HAYDEN TO EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT WE WOULD NOW AT LAST START TO KEEP THE AUSTRALIANS AS MUCH UP TO DATE AS THE CHINESE WERE DOING.
ON THE ONE HAND, AUSTRALIAN INTERESTS WERE DEEPLY AFFECTED: ON THE OTHER, MR HAYDEN WANTED TO BE HELPFUL. PARSONS SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN PARTICULARLY STRONGLY AND EFFECTIVELY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG (PARAGRAPH 7 OF PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 777). THE AUSTRALIANS LOOKED FORWARD TO RETURNING TO THE NORMAL EXTENT AND STANDARD OF CLOSE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, ON THIS SUBJECT AS ON OTHERS.
5. I SAID THAT WHEN I REPORTED MR HAYDEN'S REMARKS TO WU, (WHICH OF COURSE I WAS HEARING OSTENSIBLY FOR THE FIRST TIME), THESE WOULD EARN HIM BROWNIE POINTS WITH US. ON THE OTHER HAND, CONFIDENCE WAS DAMAGED IN THE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ATMOSPHERE OF HONG KONG WHEN PEOPLE LIKE MR HAYDEN USED THE WORD QUOTE ENCOURAGING UNQUOTE OF THE CHINESE EXPOSITION. PARSONS COMMENTED THAT HIS MINISTER WAS LIKELY TO MAKE REMARKS LIKE THIS WHEN ALL THE INFORMATION COME FROM ONE SIDE AND SO LITTLE FROM THE OTHER.
6. IT WILL BE CLEAR FROM THE ABOVE THAT BOTH MR HAYDEN AND PARSONS REMAIN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO, AND AGGRAVATED AND INDEED HURT BY, OUR APPARENT UNWILLINGNESS TO COME AS CLEAN AS HAVE DONE THE CHINESE.
MASON
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED ED/EKD
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
COPIES TO:
FED
MR BURROWS
ED/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
ED/PUSD
PS
MR FLOWER
PS/LADY YOUNG
MR COLES
PS/MR LUCE
PS/FUS
STR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
20
LEGAL ADVISERS ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
MR WALKER, RESEARCH DEPT.
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
GOGGS
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