TNAG-0030-FCO40-66-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 93

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5. Sir D. Hopson has defined our objective succinctly:

to avoid giving anything away on vital Hong Kong issues

while avoding a reply so narrowly worded as to give the

impression of a rebuff. Understandably the Governor has

tended to lay more emphasis on the first aspect and Sir D.

Hopson on the second. The result of their exchanges seems

to atrike the right belance. The statement in its present

form does not compromise us on any vital Hong Kong issue.

un the other hand the Chinese will find it difficult to

construe it as a rebuff unless of course they are resolutely

set against any real improvement in relations with us. We

have made a real effort to deal with the release of communist

prisoners the most important issue for them and by a

reference to "the agreement of the Chinese Government" have

implied e willingness to discuss the matter further.

assessing their likely reaction to the statement we should

bear in mind the informel approach that the Hong Kong authori-

ties have recently received through delicate channels from the

Chinese (Hong Kong telegram No. 331). If we are to assume

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In

that the approach is genuine, we must take account of the

remark 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".

6. There remains the matter of timing.

Earlier on, it had

seemed that there might be some advantage in waiting to see

whether the informal approach in Hong Kong might give us a

more precise indication of Chinese attitudes. The exchanges

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