TNAG-0504-FCO40-569-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 177

CONFIDENTIAL AND ECLIPSE

Reference.....

1. I have discussed this with FED. I do not think there is any point in trying to bring the Chinese in. They will join the commission if and when they want to, and anything we or the Americans say to persuade them is unlikely to have any real effect. The only reason for our making the approach would be the cause of Anglo-American relations, and then only presentationally. We do not want to encourage the Chinese to meddle in Hong Kong affairs. Still less do we want to let it appear that the Americans are trying to get the Chinese to bring pressure on us, over Hong Kong and the Chinese, if they join, could well criticise us for harbouring a narcotics trade in a piece of China which we temporarily administer. But the Americans may be concerned to be seen by the public to be doing something active about the drugs problem, and its source in Hong Kong. I think our line should therefore be that we prefer to drop the idea of any approach to the Chinese, but if the Americans press us we might agree to consider a unilateral approach ourselves to Peking.

2.

I am not sure if you will wish to tell Mr Train of these views. We might also embody them in a reply to Mr George.

R.A. amon

R B Crowson

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

14 February 1974

I did talk to

to M. Train who said he

hid

not like the idea.

We also agreed

that it

was odd that the Americans should

have told Hog ky and not us.

We agreed that it the Americans did

make

approach to us

before the

Geneva meeting

would have to dead

LASQ

with it, but that it they did not we should keep quiet and den say in Geneva if they raised the question, that we needed time to study it. I could

not

Comment more substanhalls as I had not