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simultaneous release of detainees, this gave then the advantage of
ensuring that the Nan Kam To bridge would be unblocked as planned.
The Chinese also refused to hold meetings on alternate sides of the
border (though they were probably concerned at the implications for
the status of Hong Kong if they agreed to negotiate on our side of
the border). They claimed to have met our difficulties in this
respect by agreeing to remove the site of the talks from Man Kam To
to Shun Chun (first meeting, page 8).
10. On several occasions (c.g. first meeting, page 8), the Chinese
delegates couth to necãle the British side by belittling their status
and expressing surprise at their limited powers. The object was
presumably to press the British delegates into firmer commitments.
11. During the later stages of the talks, when the Chinese felt
assured of achieving their main ains, they became remarkably
reasonable and even affable in efforts to close the final gap, when
hard-bargaining on the amount of "compensation" and the time-limit for
the removal of the wire fence was taking place.
delegate's previous cutburst against "compromisism", he later
(ninth meeting page seven) expressed a desire to "find a compromise"
on the words to be used for "compensation", and "off-set" was agreed.
The Chinese thus appeared to appreciate our difficulty on this point,
as well as our determination not to allow the use of the tera
"compensation".
Despite the Chinese
12. It is also significant that Chief Inspector Knight's escape
did not result in the serious disruption of the talks, and the
Chinese showed considerable self-restraint in not mentioning the
event - apart from a final reference to that "dishonourable
policeman" when the subject was raised by the British side after the
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