Mr Carter
SECRET
KMA
3/2.
sea
Heam,
Foreign Office
S.W.1
30 June, 1967.
291
(274)
Thank you for your letter of 29 June about Hong Kong and the Governor's suggestion that we should attempt to persuade friendly governments to express criticism of China's activities and to show their support for Hong Kong.
Mar Hawk was
напору
to consult fo e Pickard or th much end,
3/2
2. I agree that of the countries friendly to us which might have some influence in Peking Pakistan seems to be the best candidate. But I should have thought it the best of a rather indifferent bunch. I imagine that if this is to be pursued you will want to ask Cyril Pickard whether he thinks we would be likely to get any favourable reaction in Rawalpindi. My own view, but it is of course subject to what is thought in the Commonwealth Office, is that the scheme might work if it were possible for President Ayub to speak personally to Chou En-lai. But I imagine that this would not be possible? It would be most important to get not only the text but the flavour of the message right. If the Chinese recipient of the message gained the impression that an attempt was being made to contact them because we were weakening I am sure we would do our cause a lot of harm, for the Chinese would take it as their cue to tighten the screws on Hong Kong still further. So I would be against any approach, say, by the Pakistani Ambassador in Peking to the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador would probably not have access to Chou En-lai but only to a Vice-Minister and I think it is virtually certain that the import of the approach would be garbled and distorted before it got to Chou En-lai.
3. However, I do agree that this question might be worth pursuing further, whether in the specific context of Pakistan or otherwise, and I hope we might have a word about it at Sir Saville Garner's meeting next Tuesday afternoon.
4.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Hunt in the Commonwealth Office.
274
H.P. Hall, Esq., C.M.G., M.B.E.,
Commonwealth Office.
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Your
lin
Authandel han
(A.J. de la Mare)
SECRET
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