TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 31

CONFIDENTIAL

MEMORANDUM

SINO BRITISH RELATIONS: THE ROSPECTS

On the 13th of April this year on instructions

I communicated to the Chinese Foreign Ministry an oral

statement by H.M.G. on Sino-British relations. This

statement declared that H.M.G. "attach much importan co

to bringing about an early improvement in Sino-British

relations, and recognise the importance of Hong Kong in

this context." This memorandum explores some of the

implications of this proposition as seen from this post.

Present State of Sino-British Relations

2. The past year has brought relations between

Britain and China to their lowest point since we

embarked on regular intercourse with the present

Chinese Government. Any of the larger objects we set

ourselves in establishing relations with Communist China

are inevitably denied. We have no chance of representing

CONFIDENTIAL

/to the