TNAG-0034-FCO40-70-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 75

H

TOP SECRET

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO. 895

TOP SECRET

15 JULY 1968

COPY NO.2!.

679

ADDRESSED CO TELNO 895 OF 15TH JULY RFI PEKING AND SAVING

PA SINGAPORE AND WASHINGTON.

(427) MY TELEGRAM 440 : SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.

{

AFTER THE MECTING ON 3 APRIL CONTACT SOUGHT NO FURTHER MEETING WITH CATER UNTIL 10 JULY, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE LI CHOR-CHIH RAD DEEN IN CHINA AND CATER HAD ALSO BEEN AWAY FROM PONG KONG.

ON 10 JULY CONTACT WAS IN A MOST CONFIDENT MOOD AND CLAIMED THAT CHOU EN-LAI PERSONALLY HAD APPROVED THE CHANNEL OF COMMUNIC- ATION BETWEEN HIM AND CATER ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS THE ONLY CHANNEL AND THAT IT WOULD BE KEPT VERY SECRET,

30. CONTACT PUT FORWARD THE FOLLOWING POINTS:-

(A) IN PEKİNG, AS IN LONDON AND HONG KONG, THERE WERE THOSE VNO WANTED TO SEE A SETTLEMENT AND RETURN TO NORMAL RELATIONS AND

THOSE WHO DID NOT.

(B) IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FROM THE CHINESE POINT OF VIEW FOR THERE TO BE A CERTAIN MATURATION PERIOD DURING WHICH PEKING WOULD TAKE STEPS TO INFLUENCE OPINION AMONGST THE MORE EXTREME ELEMENTS IN HONG KONG. HE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THE MONA AND THE UNIONS, CC) PEKING THOUGHT THAT, WHILST NOT WANTING TO INTERFERE IN OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERN- MENT TO START THINKING ON SIMILAR LINES CONCERNING THE HAWKS IN ITS OWN CIRCLES.

TOP SECRET

/(D) PEKING

Page 75Page 76