TNAG-0114-FCO40-150-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 56

a formal statement of firmness on our side in

ao likely as not to drive the Chinese into a

hopelessly entrenched position. It would be a

pity to prejudice in this way the prospect,

however slight, of an improvement in the

situation of British subjects after the

release of Grey.

5. Both you and the mission in Peking recom-

mend that we moderate our referendes to

"improving Sino-British relations" In our

•

eyes the phrase has had little more than

ritual moaning and it is difficult on the face

of it to believe that simple repetition of the

phrase, în the face of much hard evidence to

the contrary, can have led the Chinese to take

it as an indication of readiness on our side

to capitulate on specifio ionues. However, we

are certainly roady to accept your advice and

shall in future play these references down. In

addition we shall be careful in briefing the

press and other contacts on the progress of

Sino-British relations to avoid giving the

impression that Cino-British relations are

improving faster than is in fact the case.

6. We accept that conversations of a lens

formal kind with the Chinese could provide a

convenient occasion for putting across the

appropriate messago about our intentions.

do not dispute the aptness of the points in

your paragraph 7. We are concerned only to

choose our moment well. The need to head tho

Chinese off a collision course over prisonera,

We