TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 32

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COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 325 TO HONG KONG

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4. YOUR PARAGRAPH 4. WOULD WE NECESSARILY WANT TO REFER AT THIS STAGE TO A SINGLE VISIT? CLEARLY IT WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE COULD ONLY BE ONE SET OF CHINESE VISITS IN EXCHANGE FOR ONE VISIT TO GREY. BUT IF WE ACHIEVE A VISIT TO GREY ON THE BASIS NOW SUGGESTED, WE MIGHT WELL WANT TO TRY TO REPEAT THE PATTERN ON A FUTURE OCCASION OR OCCASIONS. WE FEEL THEREFORE THAT IN ENDEAVOURING TO MOUNT THIS OPERATION WE SHOULD USE LANGUAGE WHICH WOULD IMPLY NEITHER THAT WE WERE THINKING PURELY AND SIMPLY IN TERMS OF A ONCE FOR ALL OPERATION, NOR THAT WE WERE INTENDING IT NECESSARILY TO BE A PRECURSOR OF OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

5. YOUR PARAGRAPH 5. WE THINK THAT IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE VISITS ALL TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN A REASONABLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SINCE THE CHINESE MAY REFUSE ACCESS TO GREY UNTIL THE VISITS HAVE ALL BEEN MADE OR AT ANY RATE ARRANGED. WE FEEL THAT YOUR POINT SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO THE CHINESE UNTIL WE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE NUMBERS INVOLVED MAKE SPACING A NECESSARY STIPULATION.

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