CONFIDENTIAL
Peking telegram No. 297 to Foreign Office
2
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6. I repeated my question on Chinese Government's intentions pointing out that they had gone back on the undertaking given to me on 27 November. We were owed an explanation of this. Mr. Kao said that the Chinese owed us nothing at all. The Chinese intended to normalize Sino-British relations but recently Hong Kong British authorities had taken actions which increased tension between the two countries. He then said:
"Your therefore owe us new obligations. Do not look for intentions or reasons but find them in any such action... When pressed further about Mr. Hsueh's statement on 27 November he replied that Mr. Hsueh had said that application should be made for visas through the normal procedure but after that the British had further increased tension.
7. I asked whether the Chinese were impervious to the humanitarian considerations on which I sought visas for certain of our wives. Mr. Kao replied that the British talked a lot about humanitarian considerations. As soon as the Chinese had any new information they would let us know.
8.
I said I would report the situation to my Government as highly unsatisfactory. What the Chinese were doing was not diplomacy but gangsterism. Mr. Kao protested against this statement and said that the British, not the Chinese, wore the gangsters. British imperialism had a long and aggressive history in China and after the liberation had continued gangster acts against China.
F.O. pass Immediate Hong Kong 142, Priority Washington 36 and POLAD Singapore 36.
Mr. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION F.E.D.
Prot and Conf. Dept.
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