TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 173

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EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS EVEN FOR THEIR OWN NATIONALS. HE WAS SORRY, BUT THEY COULD NOT UNDERTAKE TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH MISSION. ALL MISSIONS IN PEKING SEEMED TO HAVE DIFFICULTIES. I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE TONE OF THE CHINESE MESSAGE TO THE POLISH LEADERSHIP ON THE 22 JULY. HE REALIZED THAT THE DIFFICULTIES THE BRITISH MISSION WAS EXPERIENCING WERE PROBABLY GREATER THAN THOSE OF ANY OTHER MISSION. BUT TO HIS REGRET, THE POLISH GOVERNMENT COULD NOT HELP.

3. MR WINIEWICZ ASKED WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE ABOUT PUBLICITY. I SAID THAT YOU HAD INFORMED ME THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PUBLICITY ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS OR THEIR REACTIONS TO OUR REQUEST, THOUGH IF WE WERE ASKED ABOUT THE ACTION WE WERE TAKING ON BEHALF OF THE MISSION IN PEKING, WE PROPOSED TO CONFIRM THAT WE HAD INFORMED CERTAIN GOVERNMENTS AND SOUGHT THEIR CO-OPERATION IN THIS MATTER. MR WINIEWICZ SAID HE WOULD NOT OBJECT TO OUR MENTIONING THAT THE POLISH GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN APPROACHED, BUT HE WOULD WISH HIS REPLY TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL BETWEEN OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS. 4. HE SAID HE WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO LEARN IN DUE COURSE

OF THE SUCCESS ATTENDING OUR APPROACHES IN OTHER

CAPITALS. EVERY ASPECT OF CHINA'S BEHAVIOUR AND OF CHINA'S FOREIGN RELATIONS WAS OF THE GREATEST INTEREST TO THE POLISH GOVERNMENT. IT WAS HARD TO JUDGE WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CHINA. THE ONE THING THAT COULD BE SAID WAS THAT ANY IMPROVEMENT

WAS LIKELY TO BE SLOW.

F.O. PLEASE PASS AS IN PREAMBLE.

SIR T. BRIMELOW.

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.0.

F.E.D.

NORTHERN DEPT.

0.0.

RESEARCH DEPT.

I.R.D.

NEWS DEPT.

H.K.D.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

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