TNAG-0034-FCO40-70-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 93

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3. LI HAD GONE ON TO SAY THAT, AFTER BEING INFORMED OF HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT 'S SLOWNESS TO RESPONSE CHOU HAD ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS/

TO THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS THAT THE STRUGGLE WITH THE HONG KONG

'GOVERNMENT MUST CEASE SEMI-COLON THAT THE LOCAL PATRIOTS MUST BE

INFORMED THAT 'THE ENEMY IS NOT BRITAIN BUT THE UNITED STATES' AND

MUST CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS ACCORDINGLY. THE CHINESE WERE KEEN

TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN. LI HAD APPARENTLY GIVEN THIS

MESSAGE TO HIGH-RANKING LOCAL COMMUNISTS ON 29TH MARCH SEMI-COLON

AND HE THOUGHT THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A 'MISTAKE' (E.G. ON THE

BORDER) HAD BEEN AVERTED.

4. CONTACT SAID HE HAD THEN REPORTED TO LI ON PREVIOUS MEETING ON

GENERAL LINES MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF MY TELEGRAM UNDER

REFERENCE. LI HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS THE

ONLY APPROACH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE MAKING TO LOCAL COMMUNISTS

SEMI-COLON AND HAD CLAIMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN TWO OTHER APPROACHES

(NO DETAILS WERE GIVEN). CATER IMPRESSED ON CONTACT THAT THE TALKS

WITH HIM WERE THE ONLY TALKS THAT HAD ANY AUTHORITY AND SUGGESTED

THAT IF OTHER APPROACHES WERE APPARENTLY MADE THEY SHOULD BE

REPORTED BACK TO HIM SO THAT THE POSITION MIGHT BE CLARIFIED.

CONTACT THEN REPORTED IN GREAT SECRECY THE APPROACH OF LI TO JOHN

KESWICK CMY TELEGRAM 436) AND SAID LI HAD WONDERED IF THIS WAS

ANOTHER APPROACH BY THE BRITISH. CATER SAID THAT KESWICK WAS COMING

ON A BUSINESS TRIP AND HE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SUGGESTED

INTERVIEW WAS TO SERVE OTHER THAN BUSINESS PURPOSES.

5. CATER THEN REVERTED TO LI'S ALLEGED DISAPPOINTMENT AT HONG

KONG GOVERNEMNT'S LACK OF POSITIVE REACTION TO THE APPROACH.

HE ASKED WHAT GOVERNMENT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REACTING TO. AS WE

HAD ALREADY BEEN TOLD THAT CHINESE REGARD THE FOUR DEMANDS AS NO

MORE THAN ''TOKEN'', THEY COULD HARDLY BE A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION.

CONTACT SAID HE THOUGHT ONLY REAL POINT AT ISSUE WAS THE RELEASE OF

PRISONERS. CATER THEN SPOKE ABOUT FILM STARS ON GENERAL LINES

/OF PARAGRAPH 4

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