Cypher/Cat A
FLASH HONG KONG ΤΟ
SECRET
RECEIVED IN
139
·2 NOV 1967
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
HWAvli
(D. T.D.
HW
1 November 1967
Telno 1614
SECRET
TOP COPY
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 1614 of
1 November. Repeated for information to Peking, Singapore and Washington.
8
08
My telegram No. 599 to Peking: Hong Kong Border.
Our party crossed at 1300 hours and returned at 1730 hours. They met in reception room by the Shumchun River about 20 yards from the border.
2.
Discussions which were conducted by Vice Commander of Shumcnun Inspection Unit of Border Defence Force were reasonable and even friendly in tone by Chinese Communist standards, only matters relating to the border were raised. A member of our delegation twice returned across border bridge to give colleague on our side accounts of what was going on.
3.
demands:
4.
side.
The Chinese representatives eventually put forward 5
(a) Send back five Chinese (i.e. four arrested at Lok Ma Chau and the man Iu Wong Kwai arrested at Lo Fong for attacking a policeman).
(6) Remove the obstruction on Mankamto Bridge.
(c) Remove wire fence (erected in 1962) on the fields of peasants from Chinese territory.
(a) Compensate peasants for losses sustained as a result of closing the Bridge"
(e) Compensate peasants whose family graves were destroyed in the Man Kam To military positions.
Chinese were invited to come to a meeting tomorrow on our They said they absolutely could not accept this but pressed for a meeting tomorrow.
one.
5.
It is my feeling that it might now be possible to come to some arrangement though question of wire may still be a difficult
In the circumstances, and given the relatively reasonable attitude of the Chinese representatives today, I would propose, unless you have any very strong objection to authorize our representatives to return across the frontier tomorrow for a
further meeting.
6.
On their demands I would propose to authorize our representatives to say:
(s) I would be prepared to agree subject to Iu never again returning to Hong Kong on pain of being liable to rearrest.
(b) Agreed, subject to clear understanding (which it is certain Chinese would not accept formally but would probably hoist aboard nevertheless) that in the event of any further violent or otherwise unacceptable behaviour in B.T. would act in whatever manner we considered necessary.
we
WC.
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138
1247
SECRET
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