TNAG-0029-FCO40-65-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 125

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

SECRET

Original

ch

CYPHER/CAT.A

PRIORITY COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO

TELNO. 499

HONG KONG

18 MARCH 1968

SECRET

(F.E.D.)

приним

HWD1/13/58

Governor's Visit

file.

378

FROM GALSWORTHY.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 306: GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

WE AGREE THAT AN EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT IS DESIRABLE AND WE HAVE NO COMMENTS ON THE TEXT IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 2 WHICH WE THINK MEETS

THE CASE VERY WELL. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU PROPOSE TO RELEASE.

2. WE AGREE WE WOULD NOT WANT TO AROUSE ANY MORE SPECULATION THAN

IS INEVITABLE ABOUT TALKS ON DIVERSIFICATION BUT IF ASKED YOU CAN CERTAINLY SAY THAT FINANCIAL MATTERS WOULD BE AMONGST THOSE YOU

WOULD BE DISCUSSING, *

3. CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO HOPSON'S SUGGESTION OF A VISIT

352)TO HONG KONG AND LONDON (PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 187) AND WE ARE

356

GRATEFUL FOR VIEWS IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 310. WE AGREE THAT A MEETING N LONDON WOULD BE OF GREAT ADVANTAGE BUT WE ARE EXTREMELY DOUBTFUL

ABOUT THE WISDOM OF HOPSON VISITING HONG KONG. THERE ARE THE REAL RISKS TO WHICH YOU REFER IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 310. MOREOVER, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STATEMENT DELIVERED BY VICE MINISTER LO ON 8 MARCH, THIS MIGHT WELL RAISE CHINESE HOPES OF A MAJOR CONCESSION ON HONG KONG WHICH, IF NOT FULFILLED, COULD ONLY EXACERBATE PRESENT RELATIONS. SAME CONSIDERATIONS MIGHT ALSO APPLY TO A MEETING IN LONDON, BUT WE FEEL TO A LESSER DEGREE, SINCE IF HOPSON WERE TO COME HERE DIRECT FOR CONSULTATIONS THERE WOULD BE NO CLEAR LINK WITH HONG KONG OTHER THAN YOUR PRESENCE HERE.

4. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR FURTHER VIEWS. YOU WILL SEE THAT I AM NOT REPEAT NOT REPEATING THIS TO PEKING AT THIS STAGE.

CROSEC

FILES

C.O.

H.K.DEPT.

P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD

SIR M. JAMES

SIR A. GALSWORTHY

MR. HALI

MR. DENSON

F.O.

MR. MURRAY

MR. CHRISTOPHER

F.E.D.

SSS SS

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