TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 255

668

CONFIDENTIAL

CAT >A>

ROUTINE ALGIERS

TO

FOREIGN OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 267

9 JULY 1968

CONFIDENTIAL

YOUR TELNO 358 TO BERNE: BRITISH DIPLOMATIC STAFF IN

PEKING.

1 SHOULD EXPECT SUCH AN APPROACH TO THE ALGERIANS TO BE

PERFECTLY USELESS. THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR AND SET NO STORE BY LONG ACCEPTED DIPLOMATIC PRACTICE'. THEY HAD NO SCRUPLES

THEMSELVES IN KIDNAPPING TWO ENTIRE DELEGATIONS TO THE CONFER-

ENCE OF THE OAU IN ALGIERS LAST OCTOBER. MOREOVER ON THE

MERITS OF THE POLITICAL POINTS AT ISSUE BETWEEN US AND CHINA

THEY WOULD BE BOUND TO TAKE THE CHINESE SIDE.

2. IN ANY CASE RELATIONS BETWEEN ALGIERS AND PEKING SEEM AT THE MOMENT TO BE IN THE DOLDRUMS. THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR HAS NOT BEEN IN ALGIERS FOR OVER A YEAR. I WOULD THEREFORE THINK IT UNLIKELY THAT EVEN IF THEY WERE IN PRINCIPLE SYMPATHETIC

TO OUR POINT OF VIEW THE ALGERIANS WOULD WISH BY TAKING OUR SIDE IN THIS MATTER TO DO ANYTHING WHICH COULD FURTHER JEOPARDISE

THEIR RELATIONS WITH PEKING - OR THAT THEY WOULD CARRY MUCH

WEIGHT THERE IF THEY TRIED.

3. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO ME TO BE A POSITIVE REASON FOR NOT

TAKING THIS MATTER UP WITH THE ALGERIANS. WE CANNOT UNFORT- UNATELY BE AT ALL CONFIDENT THAT SOME BRITISH SUBJECT WILL NOT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER FALL FOUL OF THE CAPRICE OF THE LOCAL

AUTHORITIES AND END UP IN JAIL AND I SUGGEST THAT IT WOULD

BE UNVISE TO RUN THE RISK OF REDUCING MY CHANCE OF BEING ABLE

/TO

6061

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIV

ARCHI

15 JUL 1968

HUD2/2

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