TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 26

CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG TELAHAL, 241 TO MONWEALTH OFFICE

312) (V) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 225, PARAGRAPH 4. OBVIOUSLY THE MORE

OFTEN 'SPECIAL VISITS' ARE REPEATED, THE MORE WE DISCRIMINATE

IN FAVOUR OF COMMUNIST PRISONERS, AND THE GREATER RISK OF

EMBARRASSMENT HERE. I WOULD NOT ENTIRELY EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY

OF LATER EXCHANGES OF VISITS IF THE FIRST SET WENT WELL AND WE

ACHIEVED THE QUID PRO QUO IN RESPECT OF GREY: BUT I WOULD

SUGGEST THAT WE ENTER INTO NO COMMITMENT ON THIS POINT IN

OUR FIRST APPROACH TO THE CHINESE:

(VI) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 325, PARAGRAPH 5. I WOULD DO MY BEST

TO ARRANGE VISITS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT THIS DEPENDS

ON NUMBERS AND WHETHER ANY ADVERSE INTEREST IN THESE VISITS

IS AROUSED PUBLICLY.

2 I WOULD STILL PREFER NOT TO CONDUCT THESE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH

NCNA IN HONG KONG SEMICOLON BUT IF WE DO SO I WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE

THAT IT BE DONE BY EXCHANGES OF MESSAGES CAT LEAST AT FIRST) BECAUSE

(A) IF WE DISCUSS POINTS OF SUBSTANCE CAS OPPOSED TO PURELY ADMIN-

ISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS) WITH NONA HERE WE ACCORD THEM IN EFFECT THE

QUASI-CONSULAR ROLE THAT CCF PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM 323) WE

WISH TO AVOID CONCEDING.

(B) THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE INTRANSIGENT ABOUT HONG KONG PROBLEMS,

THAN THE MFA AND OUR CONTACTS WITH THEM ON OTHER MATTERS HAVE BEEN

RESTRICTED TO EXCHANGES OF MESSAGES ON THE TELEPHONE. IT COULD BE

DIFFICULT AND TAKE TIME TO GET A TWO-WAY DISCUSSION ARRANGED. CTHERE

COULD EASILY BE LONG ANGURENTS ABOUT MEETING PLACES).

(C) A DISCUSSION WITH NCNA COULD BE MORE EASILY REPRESENTED BY THEM

AS FORCING US INTO NEGOTIATION HERE. THIS IS NOT TO SAY HOWEVER THAT

IF PROPOSALS FOR A DISCUSSION AROSE NATURALLY AND WITHOUT RISK OF

EMBARRASSMENT WE COULD NOT CONSIDER IT.

3. YOUR TELEGRAM 324, PARAGRAPH 3.

I SEE CONSIDERAPUC RISKS IN GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE

PRI PARI D

ALLOU

TO AN UNI MITED NUMBER CAS PARAGRAPH 1CAD

OF TELEGRAN JUI QUIS TO IMPLY) I! WE ARE TO ARGUE ABOUT THE MATTER

IN HONG KONG LATER. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT WE SHOULD NOT OFFER

CONCESSIONS ON MATTERS WHICH ARE OF SUBSTANCE TO US BEFORE THE

CONFIDENTIAL

/CHINESE