TNAG-0114-FCO40-150-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 70

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CYPHER/CAT-A-

DUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 588

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

24 JULY 1969

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ADDRESSED F C O TELNO 588 OF 24 JULY R FI PEKING, POLAD SINGAPORE

AND WASHINGTON,

YOUR TELEGRAM 240 TO PEKING, PARA 3, SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS.

THE SUGGESTION IN YOUR TELEGRAM THAT FURTHER PRESSURE FOR

''CONCESSIONS'' IS LIKELY TO BE DIRECTED AGAINST HONG KONG IS

DISTURBING. IT ACCORDS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE HAD FOR SOME TIME THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS, AND PROBABLY THE PEKING GOVERNMENT, ARE TELLING THEMSELVES THAT FURTHER PRESSURE ON LONDON AND HONG

KONG WILL GRADUALLY GAIN THEM ALL THEY WANT: ALTHOUGH THEY DO

SEEM TO RECOGNIZE A NEED TO PACE THEIR DEMANDS A LITTLE TO ALLOW

US TO PRESERVE OUR AMOUR PROPRE SOMEWHAT. THEY INCREASINGLY

APPEAR TO BELIEVE ALSO THAT HMG IN LONDON ARE MORE RESPONSIVE

TO SUCH MANOEUVRES THAN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THAT DIFFERENCES OF VIEW EXIST BETWEEN US. SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, MY TELEGRAM 230

OF 17 MARCH,

2. IN SHORT, I SUSPECT THAT, AS I HAVE ALWAYS FEARED, OUR ''CONCESSIONARY'' ACTIONS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE CONTRIBUTED MORE TO ENCOURAGING A BELIEF IN OUR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PRESSURE THAN TO STIMULATING ANY GENUINE RECIPROCATION BY THE CHINESE, OTHER THAN OVER GREY WHO WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT ANYWAY. INDEED, WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY WARNED TO EXPECT ILL-EFFECTS FROM GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH FOR INSUFFICIENT RETURN - SEE FOR EXAMPLE MY TELEGRAM 2001 OF 20 SEPTEMBER 1968, PARA. 3 OF MY TELEGRAM 391 OF 15 MAY AND OTHERS IN THIS SERIES.

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