TNAG-0039-FCO40-75-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 101

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CYPHER/CAT A

'LASH COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG (DTD)

TELNO 2264

6 NOVEMBER 1967 (HWB)

SECRET.

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 1648.

HONG KONG BORDER.

WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THIS SLOWLY AND TRY TO FIND OUT THE REASONS FOR THE CHINESE MANOEVRES. THEY OBVIOUSLY TOOK THE

INITIATIVE IN SUGGESTING THESE TALKS FOR THEIR OWN REASONS

POSSIBLY CONNECTED WITH ACCESS TO THE CANTON FAIR AND THE FACT

THAT CROPS ARE READY FOR HARVESTING IN THE MAN KAM TO AREA. THEIR

LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES MIGHT HAVE GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT OUR

CONCERN OVER RETURN OF KNIGHT AND TWO POLICEMEN AND THE APPARENT READINESS WITH WHICH WE AGREED THEIR ORIGINAL DEMANDS WILL ENABLE

THEM TO STEP THEM UP. THIS IS CONJECTURE BUT WE SHARE YOUR VIEW

THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO OBTAIN SOME CLARIFICATION OF THEIR INTENTIONS

BEFORE TAKING THESE TALKS ANY FURTHER.

D

2. IN LIGHT OF PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1645 WE SUPPORT YOUR VIEW THAT RETURN OF TA KU LIN VILLAGER WAS NOT A BREAKING POINT.

3. AS REGARDS PARAGRAPH 3 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE WE FEEL CONSIDERABLE DOUBT WHETHER, BECAUSE OF RISK REFERRED TO IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 4, WE SHOULD TRY TO GET THESE EXCHANGES ON TO A WRITTEN BASIS. IT SEEMS TO US THAT A WRITTEN TEXT WOULD BE MORE LIKEN

TO REQUIRE PEKING'S DETAILED ENDORSEMENT THAN WOULD AN ORAL UNDER-

STANDING, AND THAT BECAUSE OF RISK THAT WRITTEN TEXT WOULD BECOME

PUBLIC THE CHINESE WOULD FEEL IT NECESSARY TO INCREASE THEIR DEMANDS. 4. WE ALSO WONDER WHETHER THERE WOULD NOT BE SOME RISK IN

USING HSINHUA FOR DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE OF PROBLEM, AS OPPOSED TO ACTING AS CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION SIMPLY FOR ARRANGEMENTS

FOR MEETINGS. HSINHUA MIGHT HAVE IDEAS OF THEIR OWN WHICH THEY

/COULD

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