SECRET
CUPATION 165,
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
D. 26 May, 1967. R. 26
1030Z
FLASH
SECRET
No.714
$1
Peking No.274
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.) Repeated
(Commonwealth Office please pass IMMEDIATE)
Reference paragraph 3 of Galsworthy's telegram from 151) Hong Kong No.698. The meeting between Ho Yin and Cater did
not, (repeat not), take place.
20
Ho Yin did, however, spend some time with members of local Communist hierarchy discussing the Hong Kong situation.
3.
Later he held joint and separate meetings with R.C. Lee and Q.W. Lee (a senior member of the Hang Seng Bank in whose office these meetings were held, and to whom reference was made as "another Chinese friendly to us" in 151-telegram No. 698). After these meetings Cater saw the two
Mr. Lee's separately, and the following covers the main points of substance.
40
Ho reportedly said that the local Communists were firm that their "four just demands" should be met: that the Communists were aware that "face" had to be given on both sides and accepted that Hong Kong was quite different from Macao and allegedly had no intention of forcing a Maçao situation in Hong Kong.
5.
R.C. Lee gained the impression from his discussion with Ho that the local hierarchy wanted first to obtain instructions from Canton: that meanwhile the Communists would not wish to escalate the local situation seriously, but to continue with token strikes.
6.
.W. Lee was a little more forthcoming over his discussions with Ho. In addition to the comments at paragraph 4 above, he reported comments of Ho to the effect that "time is on our (i.e. the Communist) side" and that Q.W. Lee should contact Ho if it were thought that Ho's presence might be of value and particularly "if the Hong Kong Government wishes to modify the demands". Q.W. Lee's assessment of his discussions with Ho are of some interest:
(i)
On the refusal to let Ho see Cater, he thinks that one, or a combination of the following would fit the case:
LAST
LEAT
REF.
151
208214
SECRET
рад
RECEVNN
ARCITIVE...
(a)
1
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