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From a position within the administration, the Chinese
would have an infinite capacity to interfere.
At my
time they would be able to instigate trouble among their
mupporters and then to hamper or frustrate cur efforts
to deal wi香はまちゃ If they were not already represented
in the security forces as part of the arrangement, they
would ponnoas oant-tron pretent for bringing poltoo or
troops in to deal with a difficult or deteriorating
situation. They could use their position to limit our
withdrawal of persons and assets, to the extent that they
considered it necessary to retain "bostagen” in order to
#quease the maximum advantage out of as (both before and
after our dep rture), hey could nanoi ua into
position in which we might be formed to postpone our
departure indefinitely for the sake of our hestaguo,
This course might however prove to be the only way in
which we could effect an orderly withdrawal in the face
of uncompromising Chinese hostility and opposition.
But it would seen prudent to follow it only in ex DRSALE)
to offer it eɛrlie: would undoubtedly put irresistible
temptations in their way.
is
20. The prospects that China would respond with any
reasonable degree of co-operation to a move on our part
for a negotiatos withdrawal must depond very much on t
(a) whether at out ted their polloy at that time to
take the Colony over and, if it did, what their
"interest" was in getting it back. If vo
chosa a time that did not suit either their
soonomic or political objectives, we could
expect then to maximise their demenda mpon us
and to seck to ensure that we left in utter
confusion and in the most humiliating
conditionnD.
If our withdrawal did suit their
/ policy ***
/polley
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