CIPHER/CAT A
PEZING
UNFIDENTIAL
190830Z
IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO. 1076 OF 19 OCTOBER.
PERSONAL FOR WILFORD FROM DENSON
ch/Hongkong.
THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNTIL
UNDER FOI EXEMPTION No .....2...7......
MY TELNO. 1075: MR MACDONAL'S MEETING WITH CHOU EN-LAI
1. MR MACDONALD HAS GIVEN ME A FULLER ACCOUNT THAN THAT RECORDED IN
HIS TELEGRAM TO JOHN MORGAN (WHOM I DISCOVER ON CHECKING WILL STILL
BE OUT OF THE OFFICE). CHOU EN-LAI INDICATED THAT THE CHINESE
THOUGHT THAT!
VE MIGHT (A) WISH TO BE FREE TO RECOGNISE AN QUOTE
INDEPENDENT UNQUOTE TAIWAN WHICH MIGHT BE SET UP BY THE US AND JAPAN
AFTER THE EXPULSION OF THE NATIONALISTS FROM THE UN SEMICOLON (B) WE
IWAN NIGHT FEAR THAT IF WE ACKNOWLEDGED CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER TA
THIS WOULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE STANDING OF HONG KONG. CHOU SAID
DPHATICALLY THAT THERE WAS NO, REPEAT NO, PARALLEL TO BE DRAWN
BETWEEN TAIWAN AND HONG KONG.
CHINA HAD NO INTENTION OF SEEKING TO
GET HONG KONG BACK UNTIL THE EXPIRY OF THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE.
MR MACDONALD SAID SPEAKING PERSONALLY THAT HE DID NOT THINK THAT
CHINA'S FEARS ABOUT OUR POSSIBLE FUTURE ATTITUDE TO TAIWAN WERE
JUSTIFIED AND ALSO DISCOUNTED ANY CONNECTION IN BRITISH MINDS BETWEEN
THE POSITION OF TAIWAN AND HONG KONG.
2. MR MACDONALD GAVE AS HIS STRONG PERSONAL ADVICE THAT THE CHINESE
SHOULD GO AHEAD ON THE BASIS OF THE AGREEMENT SO FAR REACHED. THIS
KOULD HAVE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES FOR CHINA IF THE ANNOUNCEMENT WERE
MADE IN THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHILE THE UN DEBATE WAS STILL
IN PROGRESS. THE SWITCH OF THE VOTE AND WITHDRAWAL OF OUR
CONSULATE WHILE THE ASSEMBLY WAS IN SESSION WOULD HAVE A POWERFUL
CONFIDENTIAL
/ EFFECT
(2nd Lange not while)
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