TNAG-0027-FCO40-63-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 162

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CONFIDENTIAL

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 1801 TO HONG KONG

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IN THIS COUNTRY ARE ASKING WHY WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH YOU AT ALL.

IF I JUDGE THE SENTIMENT OF YOUR GOVERNMENT ARIGHT I THINK THAT YOU TOO WISH US TO REMAIN IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. ON THIS ASSUMPTION I SET OUT BELOW WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO TO

PRESERVE THEM.

I WILL NOT REHEARSE IN DETAIL THE TREATMENT RECENTLY METED OUT TO OUR DIPLOMATIC STAFF AND PROPERTY AND TO OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA, I SIMPLY REMIND YOU THAT OUR MISSION AND STAFF BOTH IN SHANGHAI AND PEKING HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO TREATMENT WHICH WOULD FULLY JUSTIFY OUR RUPTURE OF RELATIONS WITH YOU. THE SACKING OF OUR MISSION IN PEKING HAS COMPELLED US TO IMPOSE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON YOUR STAFF AND OTHER OFFICIAL S. THESE RESTRICTIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN AND ARE NOT NOW AS STRINGENT AS THOSE YOU HAVE FOR A LONG TIME PLACED UPON OUR REPRESENTATIVES. IT WAS, FOR INSTANCE, ONLY AFTER THE EVENTS IN PEKING OF 22 AUGUST AND THE STEPS TAKEN BY YOUR GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF FROM LEAVING CHINA THAT WE PLACED ANY RESTRICTION AT ALL UPON THE FREE MOVEMENT OF YOUR DIPLOMATS AND OFFICIALS INTO AND OUT OF THIS COUNTRY. IT IS BEING REPRESENTED THAT YOUR STAFF IN LONDON HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO INTOLERABLE HARASSMENT. I DO NOT ASK YOU SIMPLY TO BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT THIS IS NOT SO: PLEASE SEEK THE VIEWS OF ANY IMPARTIAL OBSERVER IN LONDON DURING THIS LAST WEEK.

I NOW SEEK YOUR COOPERATION TO BRING THE SITUATION BACK TO .. NORMAL AND TO SET US BOTH ON A BETTER COURSE IN OUR RELATIONS. YOU MAY THINK THAT THESE WOULD BE BEST SERVED IF WHILE MAINTAINING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, BOTH SIDES WITHDREW THEIR MISSION AND PERSONNEL FROM EACH OTHER'S CAPITAL FOR THE

TIME BEING. IF YOU THOUGHT THIS WOULD HELP I WOULD BE PREPARED TO ALLOW ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR DIPLOMATIC MISSION AND OTHER OFFICIAL ORGANISATIONS WITH THEIR DEPENDENTS AND STAFF AND ANY OTHER CITIZENS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WHO WISHED TO LEAVE THIS COUNTRY TO DO SO, ON THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW ALL BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA, DIPLOMATIC, OFFICIAL OR OTHERS, WHO WISHED

CONFIDENTIAL

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