24. WITH REGARD TO ILLEGALS WE HAVE STRENGTHENED OUR PROTECTIVE SCREEN IN TERMS OF WIRE, MEN AND BOATS AND WILL DO SO FURTHER TO WHATEVER EXTENT IS PRACTICAL AND PRODUCTIVE. I BELIVE THAT THEY
WILL TAKE THEIR OWN STEPS.
25. A WORD IN CONCLUSION.NOUR PARTY WAS TREATED WELL, MANY WOULD SAY EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. WE WERE GIVEN AN EXCELLENT BRIEFING IN GUANGZHOU, RECEIVED IN PEKING BY DENG XIAOPING, LIAO CHENGZHI, HUANG HUA, AS WELL AS OF COURSE BY OUR HOST LI QIANG AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS. MOREOVER THE WAY WE WERE ENTERTAINED AND THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS MADE WERE OF A VERY HIGH ORDER AND GREAT PAINS WERE TAKEN FOR OUR COMFORT AND INTEREST, AND ON OUR FINAL AND VERY FRIENDLY EVENING IN GUANGZHOU THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVINCIAL REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE, THE NEWLY APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF THE GUANGZHOU COMMITTEE, SEVERAL VICE CHAIRMEN AND MANY SENIOR OFFICIALS WERE PRESENT. ALL THIS WAS NOT A TRIBUTE TO US, BUT I THINK SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A TRIBUTE TO HONG KONG AND TO. RELATIONS OVER HONG KONG AND TO THE IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO THE SPECIAL ROLE HONG KONG PLAYS IN CHINESE AND ANGLO/CHINESE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND TO THE WISH OF THE CHINESE LEADERS THAT IN OUR
MUTUAL INTEREST THERE SHOULD BE THE BEST POSSIBLE COOPERATION OVER IT. WE HEARTILY RECIPROCATED THESE SENTIMENTS AND CAN DRAW
CONFIDENCE FROM THEM.
MACLEHOSE
FCO DISTRIBUTION HK & GD (6)
FED
CABINET OFFICE
[ ALSO SENT BY BAG TO PEKING]
[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]
6
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
LONDON