TNAG-0332-FCO40-368-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 152

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ASKED TO EXPLAIN REASONS CAUSING DELAY IN EXCHANGE OF

AMBASSADORS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES SIR ALEC SAID QUOTE WHEN

EYE SAID THAT CHINESE ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED IT WAS ONLY

AN ASIDE IN RELATION TO THE NEXT WEEK OR SO STOP EYE HOPE

WE SHALL BE ABLE RESUME CONVERSATIONS WITH CHINESE GOVERNMENT

.4

STOP ONE OF DIFFICULTIES OF COURSE IS STATUS OF TAIWAN STOP

THAT APPLIES EYE THINK NOT ONLY TO CHINESE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

WITH US BUT RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL

WITH WHOM WE MAY HAVE NO REPEAT NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AT

PRESENT STOP VARIOUS COUNTRIES HAVE GOT OVER IT IN DIFFERENT

WAYS STOP CANADA FOR EXAMPLE GOT OVER IT IN ONE WAY SEMICOLON

OTHER COUNTRIES IN ANOTHER STOP WE ARE THEREFORE

TALKING TO CHINESE ABOUT POSSIBLE WAYS OF MEETING THEIR PARTICULAR

OBJECTIONS TO THE ATTITUDES WE HAVE TAKEN IN PAST STOP

EYE CANNOT SAY WHETHER THIS WOULD BE TEMPORARY OR NOT STOP

UNQUOTE

PARA

ASKED WHY CHINESE ARE MAKING IT A PARTICULAR POINT

THAT BRITAIN SHOULD MAKE A STATEMENT ON STATUS OF TAIWAN

WHICH SUITS CHINA COMMA SIR ALEC SAID COLON QUOTE WELL EYE

THINK BECAUSE WE WERE PARTIES TO WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE CAIRO

DECLARATION A LONG TIME AGO IN WHICH CANADA FOR EXAMPLE AND

OTHER COUNTRIES WERE NOT INVOLVED STOP IT IS A TECHNICAL MATTER RATHER THAN EYE THINK IN CHINESE MIND BUT EYE WOULD

NOT LIKE TO SPECULATE ON THIS ANY FURTHER STOP EYE THINK

事

THAT THIS IS A MATTER IN WHICH WE WILL CONDUCT DIPLOMACY

QUIETLY AND WITH HOPE OF SUCCESS..