TNAG-0029-FCO40-65-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 83

Cypher/Cat A

398

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMEDIATE

PEKING

ΤΟ

Telno 238

CONFIDENTIAL

FOREIGN OFFICE

25 March 1968

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 238 of 25 March, Repeated for information to Hong Kong.

At the end of a discussion about prison visits I had this afternoon with Hsueh, Deputy Director Western Europe, latter repeated much of what Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lo Kuei Po, said to me on 8 March about Hong Kong being crux of Sino British relations. He said the Chinese Government were hoping for a speedy reply from the British Government to the Chinese Government's statement of 8 March. Discussions could of course be held on concrete problems, but these could be solved much more easily, some even without discussion, once the main problem had been dealt with.

2.

Fuller record and my comments follow.

Foreign Office pass Hong Kong No. 165.

Sir D. Hopson

[Repeated as requested]

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.0.

C.O.

F.E.D.

Consular Dept.

P.C.D.

D.D. & P.U.S.D.

News Dept.

J.I.R.D. O.L.A.

H.K.Dept.

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