CONFIDENTIAL
What Can Be Done? External Pressure On the Chinese
Government
9. Given that both we and the Chinese Government seem
to have an interest in bringing confrontation to an end,
how can this be achieved? The Chinese, in an attempt to
extract the best possible price from us, try to exert
pressure by holding the staff of this Mission (and some
other British subjects) as hostages. Have we any means
of countering this blackmail? We are currently planning
to bring various pressures on the Chinese Government, e.g.
by diplomacy and publicity. possibly also in the economic
field, to persuade them to conform to more civilised standards
of behaviour. We must recognise, however, that the means
at our disposal are limited and that the Chinese are
less sensitive than most Governments to these types
of pressure.
Moreover, it is clear for the reasons
set out earlier in this paper that these pressures
of themselves are unlikely to restore Sino-British relations
to normal, though they may perhaps help to bring about
an improvement in a limited sector, e.g. treatment of
this Mission. There is also the question of retaliatory
action. We could, if necessary, control the exit of
members of the Chinese Office in London by re-imposing the
exit visa requirement. But this would be a backward stóp
rather than the de-escalation we nood.
Moreover experience
with the Chinese over the last year has shown that this
CONFIDENTIAL
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