CYPHER/CAT A
SECRET
IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG
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TELNO. 557
SECRET
27 MARCH 1968
(FED)
LA:
403
416
NWB 3/2
PERSONAL FOR ELLIOTT, POLITICAL ADVISER, FROM MURRAY.
५०१
PEKING TELNO 243: SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.
WE HAD A MEETING AT DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL WITH COMMONWEALTH OFFICE THIS MORNING TO EXAMINE THE DRAFT.
2. LEAVING ASIDE THE RISK THAT THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA 3 AND THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARA 7 TAKE US TOO FAR DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF NEGOTIATION, WE FELT THAT IF WE ARE TO ASSUME THAT THE APPROACH REFERRED TO IN YOUR TELEGRAM 331 IS GENUINE, WE MUST TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE REMARK IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF THAT TELEGRAM THAT THE CHINESE DID NOT WANT TO INSTITUTE FORMAL TALKS IN EITHER PEKING OR LONDON BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WISH TO APPEAR TO BE SEEKING A SOLUTION''. WE ALSO FORESAW THAT YOU WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTIES ON VARIOUS POINTS OF DETAIL. 3. IT SEEMED TO US THAT THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS MIGHT MERIT CONSID-
ERATION:
PARAGRAPH 2: DELETE ''AND ORIGINS'
PARAGRAPH 3:
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(A) FOR ''SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP OF HONG KONG WITH CHINA' SUBSTITUTE SPECIAL POSITION OF HONG KONG WITH REGARD TO CHINA,
(B) DELETE SECOND SENTENCE.
PARAGRAPH 4:
(A) AT THE BEGINNING DELETE WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO MORE RECENT VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON HONG KONG''
(B) IN FIRST SENTENCE, FOR ''WISH'' SUBSTITUTE ''TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY''.
(C) IN THIRD SENTENCE, BEFORE DISCRIMINATE'' INSERT ''FAVOUR''
(D) IN FOURTH SENTENCE, FOR ''THEY ARE CONSISTENT'' SUBSTITUTE
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