TNAG-0039-FCO40-75-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 235

Cypher/Cat A

CONFIDENTIAL

FLASH HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (DTD)

Telno 1566

21 October 1967

102

TOP COPY

CONFIDENTIAL

Addressed to Peking telegram No. 573 of 21 October. Repeated for information to Commonwealth Office, Washington and PA Singapore.

101 A 9 1011.

Your telegrams 164 and 165: Frontier Problem.

I am inclined to agree that this communication is in relatively reasonable terms and that there might be some chance of arranging a deal.

Clearly there could be risks in talks on the kind referred to in paragraph 5 e.g.

2.

3.

(a) Possibility of abduction of negotiators (though we think this is unlikely now that matter is being handled on Government-to- Government basis):

(b) Possibility of our being lured into a Macau-like position (though there need be little risk of this if we play our cards properly).

My conclusion, however, is that we should be ill-advised to ignore this approach. Situation on the frontier is potentially explosive. Though at the moment it is being kept under control by the PLA, this could quickly change if we were to take an entirely negative attitude.

40 It thus seems important that we should give some early indication of our interest in the possibility of talks. I have therefore instructed Political Adviser to make some contact with NCNA official with whom we have already discussed the Knight problem, to ask whether he had any news for us, and indicate that we had heard from Peking that border officials from Shum Chun might wish to talk problem over with us.

So far we have not got a message through, but we will

continue trying.

5. It would be helpful at the same time if you could go back to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ask for their suggestions as to how a meeting at the border could be arranged. If they ask whom they should contact here, we suggest that you propose the names of the Political Adviser or his assistant.

Foreign Office please pass Flash to Peking as my telegram No.573 and Routine Washington as my telegram No. 331.

Sir D. Trench

Sent 04282/ 21 October Read 04402/ 21 October

[Repeated as requested]

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.O. F.E.D.

D.D. & P.U.S.D

PPP

Hong Kong Dept.

F.E. & P.D.

News Dept. J.R.D.

ADVANCE COPIES SENT

Overseas Labour Adviser Overseas Police Adviser· J.I.R.D.

News Dept.

D.I.S. M.O.D.

CONFIDENTIAL

L/WAY/1

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101B

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