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4. IN GENERAL DISCUSSION THE FOLLOWING POINTS WERE MADE:-
(1) CONTACT ALLEGED THAT LI CHOH-CHIH, THE PRESENT MANAGER OF THE BANK OF CHINA, WHEN VISITING HIM UNACCOMPANIED (WHICH CONTACT
CLAIMED INDICATED THE HIGH LEVEL AUTHORITY FOR THE TALKS), HAD SAID-
(A) THERE WAS NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER OF TRYING TO BRING
ABOUT A 'MACAU TYPE SITUATION'
'' HERE IN HONG KONG: ''HONG
KONG WAS A VERY DIFFERENT MATTER FROM MACAU''.
''TOKEN DEMANDS'
"
(B) THE CHINESE CONSIDERED THE FOUR DEMANDS
ONLY AND NOT A SERIOUS BASIS FOR DISCUSSION.
(11) CONTACT CLAIMED THAT, WHEN SPEAKING TO LI, HE HAD STRESSED THAT IF THE COMMUNISTS WISHED TO SHOW SINCERITY THEY MUST ENSURE THAT THERE WERE NO SERIOUS TROUBLES WHILST THE PRESENT APPROACH IS UNDER CONSIDERATION. CONTACT CLAIMED THAT IN THE LAST WEEK OR SÓ
THERE HAD BEEN A DAMPENING DOWN OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITY AND THAT MANY PLANS THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS HAD IN MIND HAD NOT MATURED: EVEN EDITORIALS IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS WERE VERY MUCH MILDER THAN PREVIOUS - LY. CCOMMENT. THIS CLAIM IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS. THERE MIGHT
HAVE BEEN SOME SOFTENING IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE PRESS RECENTLY BUT
IF SO IT IS VERY MARGINAL.)
(11) CONTACT STRESSED THAT HE HAD IMPRESSED ON LI THAT HE (THE
CONTACT) WAS NOT A SUITABLE PERSON TO CARRY OUT ANY DISCUSSIONS OF THIS TYPE AS HE WAS NEITHER QUALIFIED FOR NOR EXPERIENCED IN SUCH WORK. CCOMMENT. CONTACT SEEMED GENUINELY CONCERNED BUT CATER FEELS THAT THE CONCERN WAS DUE MORE TO APPREHENSION AS TO HIS OWN PERSONAL POSITION VIS A VIS PEKING IF THE TALKS WERE TO FAIL OR IF
THOSE WHO HAD INSTIGATED THEM WERE TO FALL OUT OF FAVOUR.)
(IV) CONTACT EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT ONE OF THE SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS. HE CLAIMED THAT HE HAD TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO LI THE DIFFICULTY WHICH THE BRITISH WOULD HAVE IN SUCH A MATTER BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY AND THE ADMINISTRATION. WHILST AGREEING WITH THIS, CATER POINTED OUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE THE POSSIBILITY OF ''RELEASING TO CHINA'' A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF SUCH PRISONERS BUT HE JUDGED IT
/WISER ON
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