TNAG-0334-FCO40-370-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

Russians continue to tease the Chinese on this point but the

Chinese have so far swallowed their ideological pride presumably

because of the tangible benefits which the Colony brings.

FUTURE CHINESE POLICY

8. Much will depnd on how the Chinese leadership evolves over

the next decade. At present Chou En-lai seems firmly in the

saddle. As long as he remains at the helm, it is reasonable to

expect that policies of comparative restraint and realism as

regards Hong Kong will continue.

more difficult to predict the course of events after he and Mao

die.

But Chou is 73 and it is much

CONFIDENTIAL