THIS IS A COPY
.THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
SECRET DE DIP
Endin
MKK040/5
28 JUN 108
-698
K
00 CANBERRA
RR PEKING
GRS 551
SECRET
DEDIP
FM FCO 24180OZ JUN 83
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 215 OF 24 JUNE
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)
ROUTINE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
FOR CULLIMORE FROM DONALD
MIPT: VISIT OF MR HAYDEN TO HONG KONG
1.
I EXPLAINED TO SIR VICTOR GARLAND MY CONCERN
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO STRIKE A PROPER BALANCE, THOUGH
HE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE UNDER A TIGHT CONSTRAINT TO KEEP
KNOWLEDGE ON THIS SUBJECT EXTREMELY CLOSE. ONLY THE AMERICANS
AND THE AUSTRALIANS WERE BEING KEPT INFORMED AT A VERY HIGH
LEVEL.
2.
SINCE MID-APRIL, WHEN MR HAYDEN WAS BRIEFED BY SIR J MASON,
PROGRESS IN OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE HAD CONTINUED TO BE SLOW.
MEETINGS CONTINUED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS IN PEKING. THE
AMBASSADOR'S INTERLOCUTOR WAS A VICE MINISTER WHO STUCK FAST TO
HIS BRIEF AND WAS UNABLE TO TAKE DECISIONS HIMSELF. FOR A WHILE
CHINESE PROPAGANDA HAD BEEN AIMED AT IMPLYING THAT WE HAD ALREADY
CONCEDED SOVEREIGNTY. (IT HAD PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED THAT TALKS
HAD STALLED BECAUSE THE BRITISH WERE BEING INTRANSIGENT.) IN
RECENT WEEKS HOWEVER THE CHINESE HAD TONED DOWN THEIR PROPAGANDA
AND, IN AN APPARENT EFFORT TO GET INTO MORE SUBSTANTIVE TALKS,
HAD SHOWN A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY,
3. I MADE IT CLEAR AT THIS POINT THAT THIS APPARENT CHINESE
MOVEMENT HAD NOT, REPEAT NOT, BEEN CAUSED BY ANY CONCESSION ON
OUR PART. IN SPITE OF SOME TOUGH TALKING OVER THE PAST NINE
MONTHS, WE HAD GIVEN NOTHING AWAY. WE AND THE CHINESE HAD
1
SECRET DE DIP
1
Sex 179
Sue 652