1
CONFIDENTIAL
a) The Offer of Humanitarian Assistance through the Red
Cross
:
2.
1
We have agreed with ODA officials that the Secretary
of State might say:
I have instructed officials to examine urgently ways in which we can respond sympathetically to any requests for humanitarian assistance from non-governmental organisations, such as
Cross.
the Red
The ODA have warned that their funds
are under
a result of the catalogue of extreme pressure as recent disasters world-wide.
me
You also asked to consider whether there were any measures we could take, which the Americans had not taken. We have looked at four possibilities:
a) Recalling our Ambassador
President Bush said that he had turned down a suggestion that he recall the US Ambassador from Peking on the grounds that "this would be a mistake, since the Ambassador
a key
serves as
more
listening post". This argument applies even strongly in respect of the UK, given our dealings with the Chinese over Hong Kong.
It will be
CONFIDENTIAL
/important