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131
Cypher/Cat A
PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 1238 15 August, 1967
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TIRECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63 16 AUGNO/
Addressed to Peking telegram No.530 of 15 August, Repeated for information to Commonwealth Office.
HUA
(12) (127) Your telegram No.711 and my telegram No.1229 to Commonwealth
Office: Border.
We have not seen the full text of protest Note, but it sounds as if we are being accused of having closed the whole border. In fact only Man Kam to crossing point is closed. Neither Lo Wu nor Sha Tau Kok have been closed and at the smaller gates closure was enforced only for part of the 11 August. These gates have been open since then and farmers are passing normally. It would be like the Chinese to justify restrictions on Queen's Messengers and others on the basis of our alleged action. On Sunday afternoon, however, we had a protest at Lo Wu about slow processing of CPG passport holders on that day which gives the lie to the suggestion that we have closed the border.
2.
(a)
(b)
Alternative explanations are that either:
Chaos is such in Canton that the Chinese authorities wish to restrict the chances of foreigners seeing it, or
the Chinese find themselves incapable of running a proper train service to Shum Chun with respectable rolling stock and have concluded that it is better to stop the service, at least for nationals of "unfriendly" countries.
Officer Administering the Government
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Sent 09112/15 August Recd 09212/15 August
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