TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 164

By Bag

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SAVING TELEGRAM

KAMPALA TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Telno 13 Saving

26 July 1968

729

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Addressed to Commonwealth office telegram No. 13 Saving of 26 July Repeated for information Saving to Dar es Salaam and Nairobi

606A)

Your telegram No.358 to Berne: British Mission in Peking.

The Foreign Minister was not available yesterday and is due to leave for Arusha today, so I called on the Permanent Secretary naking the points in your instructions, leaving with him a bout de papier containing a summary of the facts.

2. His attitude was sympathetic and he undertook to convey what I had said to his Minister and to let me have his Government's considered reply. He made two particular comments: (a) would it not be better for us to try to solve the question bilaterally, i.c. by finding more effective forms of rotaliation. I replied that we had up to now been trying to solve the problem bilaterally, but the Chinese being a ruthless totalitarian govern- mont would always have the edge on us when it came to reprisals. unthinkable that we would inflict on members of the Chinese Mission

It was or any other Mission In London the restrictions, humiliations,nd even physical assault which our people had had to endure in Poking. (b) It would have been easier to hold the Chinese to accepted international standards if they were members of the United Nations. there might be something in this, though diplomatic standards wore much

I replied that older than the United Nations and United Nations membership was no gunrantec of correct behaviour. In any case this was somewhat academic as far as the present position of Hopson and his staff was concerned.

3.

.

My general impression of Baingana's reaction was that though he certainly saw our point, he was instinctively looking for reasons to avoid a Ugandan involvement. He said at one point that they would have to consider their own interests, to which I replied that, while we were cortainly asking a favour of them, it might fairly be pointed out that all countries who had or might soon have representation in Peking had a common interest in the problem. the chances of a positive Ugandan response.

On the whole I would rate fairly low

Mr. Scott

LAST

RFF.

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

606A

NEX

F.O. F.E.D.

REF.

Western Dept.

Northern Dept.

Eastern Dept.

N.E.A.D.

W.C.A.D.

S.E.A.D.

Research Dept.

c.o. Hong Kong Dept.

S.A.D.

E.A.D.

Z.M. & S.A.D.

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...VED IN IVES No. 63

31 JUL1968

HWA/L

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