SÖR 4/3571/62 II
SECRET
Jamory 23, 1968.
23
271
Chile you were hare laat vook, we had a fairly full discussion of the problems raised in Donald Hopson's letter of 19th December to Peter Wilkinson about the future of tho Mission in Peking; and I think you now generally understand our viove.
•
2.
We should heartily welcome the bringing of diplomatio pressure on the Chinese to treat the Mission properly. O should also see little objection from our point of view to the devolopment of a publicity campaign on the lines suggested in Donald Hopson's peragraph 8; ovon if the effect word to revive Chinese demands cn H.K. this would not very much mattor unless, as scons extremely unlikely, they were to back up their demands with a renewal of violonce ani economic sanctions. Again, as we havo indicated in the past, we should be prepared to considor interfering on a selcative basis with the grant of transit visas to Chinoss wishing to travel through H.k. to a third country, 0.g. Japan. Closing the entire Heh, frontier would bo a very differont matter from our point of view, for it might only too easily lead to retaliation against our food and water supplics from China . As for the possibility of interfering with the Australian and Canadian wheat deals, you will remezbor that this was precisely what we suggested last June. I must say, however, that I do not see how N.1.0. could have the face to press the Australians and Canadians to act in this way unless they vere prepared to take similar measures in respect to British commercial deals with China.
3.
The main point on which wo here diverge from the views expressed in Donald's letter is the question of susponding diplomatic relations. From li„K.'s point of view vo would on balance think this undesirable. Looking at the problem solely
J. Murray, Eaq., C.1.0.s
Far astora Dept.,.
Foreign Office,
London, S.Vol.
/from
R. 378
68:
30..
RECEIVED IN:
ARCHIVES NO. 63 30 JANEES
Mr. Gayamiana
'S imagine that Mr. Niway
SECRET will want to disauce this with as
of some time:
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