TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 207

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2.

WHOLE HOWEVER WE WOULD PREFER THE CHINESE NOT TO BE PRESENTED WITH A NUMBER OF NEARLY IDENTICAL PIECES OF PAPER. WE THINK THAT VARIED APPROACHES TO THEM, WHICH HAD A GREATER APPEARANCE OF SPONTANEITY,

MIGHT BE BETTER.

3. IN DISCUSSING OUR CASE THE MAIN POINTS YOU SHOULD TRY TO GET

ACROSS ARE THESE:-

(A) THE CHINESE ARE DETAINING OUR DIPLOMATIC MISSION AS A MEANS OF POLITICAL PRESSURE. THIS VIOLATES ANY KNOWN STANDARDS OF DIPLOMATIC

BEHAVIOUR.

(B) THE CHINESE DO NOT CLAIM TO BE BEYOND THE DIPLOMATIC PALE. THEY CLAIM TO BEHAVE CORRECTLY THEMSELVES AND ARE READY TO INVOKE DIPLO- MATIC RULES WHEN IT SUITS THEM, E.G. LAST YEAR AGAINST THE INDONES- IANS, THE INDIANS, AND THE BURMESE: AND EVEN AGAINST OURSELVES IN RESPECT OF OUR SPECIAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS OF LAST AUGUST. (SUPPLE- MENTARY MATERIAL IS IN MY SECOND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TELEGRAM). THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAVE ALSO DENIED IN TWO RECENT INTER- VIEWS WITH OUR MISSION THAT THEY DETAIN DIPLOMATS.

4. AS GOVERNMENTS MAY BE RELUCTANT TO ENGAGE IN WHAT MIGHT APPEAR TO BE A JOINT DEMARCHE IN PEKING, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT IN OUR VIEW IT MIGHT BE PREFERABLE TO SUMMON CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES IN THE CAPITAL, BUT THIS OF COURSE IS A MATTER FOR GOVERNMENTS THEMSELVES

TO DECIDE.

5. YOU SHOULD INFORM THE GOVERNMENT TO WHICH YOU ARE ACCREDITED THAT WE ARE IN GENERAL APPROACHING ALL GOVERNMENTS WITH WHICH WE AND THE CHINESE ARE IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS: BUT WE SHOULD PREFER THAT ANY CONSULTATION SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT DIRECTLY BETWEEN GOVERN- MENTS AND NOT THROUGH US AS AN INTERMEDIARY. IF THIS SEEMS USEFUL, YOU MAY SAY THAT WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INAPPROPRIATE BECAUSE OF THEIR VERY STRAINED RELATIONS WITH THE CHINESE TO ASK THE RUSSIANS TO INTERVENE, BUT THAT WE HAVE INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE ACTION TAKEN WITH CTHER GOVERNMENTS. (WE ARE NOT IN FACT TAKING ACTION IN ULAN BATOR AND ALGIERS. ACTION MAY BE DELAYED FOR LOCAL REASONS IN BAGHDAD AND PRAGUE. IN THE CASE OF TANZANIA, WE HOPE TO USE MR. MALCOLM MACDONALD AS AN INTERMEDIARY WITH PRESIDENT NYERERE IN ABOUT TEN DAYS' TIME.)

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