TOP SECRET
D Paragraph 5
Al
This paragraph should now read as follows after the sentence onding "China's overwhelming local military superiority":
"Thore are three other types of situation in which
negotiations for such a withdrawal might be contemplated. These are:
(a) As in present draft
(b)
A situation in which Kwangtung broke away
from control by Poking;
(c) As (b) in presont draft
(a) is highly unlikely in the near future. The Cultural Revolution shows no sign of coming to an ond and seems certain to continue for some months at least, So long as it does the campaign against the Hong Kong Government will persist and negotiations on any terms short of capitulation to Chinese demands will be out of the question. The issue of the Chinese ultimatum of 20 August about Hong Kong and the subsequent sacking of the British Mission in Poking and its aftermath demonstrate how uncompromising the Chinass attitudo has become and how fruitless negotiations would be in this atmosphore. It cannot be excluded, however, that situation (b) may arise should some of the regional arcas break away from control by Poking and pass under the leadership of more rational Party or Army groups. If this occurred in Kwangtung, the Provinco bordering on Hong Kong, it might be possible to arrange a nodus vivendi which would relieve some of the pressures on the Colony. So far, however, the ovidence available shows that the Army romains in control along the frontier and subject to Headquartors in Poking. Further back, however, in Canton there has been considerable disorder and this could conceivably spread throughout the whole Province. It is, however, more likely that such a situation might arise after the Cultural Revolution: we consider this below. Accordingly, at present the only situation on which nogotiations soom possible is (c)."
Further on in the present paragraph 5, delete the sentence:
"Expori once as shown. .as Chinose territory".
In the next sentence for "winning their campaign" substitute "in the ascendant",
In the penultinato sentence, for "sign" substitute "indication" and omit the words "to the Chinose",
TOP SECRET
/E Paragraph 9
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.