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will then be able to take the detailed discussions a step further. It would be rash, however, to hazard a guess about precisely when the Chinese side will be ready to hold a meeting.
5.
one of the Foreign Affairs people in Feking took the opportunity to raise any questions themselves about Hong Kong. Nor was there any mention of Chinese representation in Hong Kong at any time during my visit. In Canton, Yang L'o-chung and his colleagues raised two minor points of local business which I am dealing with separately (one about a previous suggestion of ours about a new passenger bridge across the border at Lowu and the other about some insanitary housing on the border at Sha Tau Kok).
6.
Yang himself only raised one other matter:
the Russians. what, he asked, vas the situation about Soviet activities in Hong Kong (Su-lian tsai risiang-kang ti huo- tung tsen-ma yang?). I told him he could be sure that ve kept a very close vatch indeed on any Soviet activities. The late Mr Crosland had given an assurance about not allowing Hong Kong to be used for subversive activities against China during his visit to Peking in May 1976. I also told Yang that if he had evidence of subversive activities being carried out by the soviet union against China in Hong Kong, I would like to hear about it. then had some discussion about Soviet cargo and passenger ships in Gong Kong, during which I told him that we had not recently had Soviet ships for repair because of the tough attitude we had taken about the extension of visas for two Soviet marine superintendents; I also told him that we kept a very close eye indeed on Soviet ships and their crevs while they were here. Yang took all this very calmly. somewhat to my surprise, there was no mention vhat soever of KMT activities.
7.
We
It
In general, the trip vas both interesting and very useful. It is helpful to supplement our normal written contact with the Embassy by a personal visit. is also very useful to make direct contact with Chinese Foreign Ministry officials dealing with Hong Kong affairs both in eking and Canton, particularly the latter place vhere we cannot expect to have contact through the Embassy. at its best this should help to establish confidence and settle problems; at its worst such contact can act as a lightning conductor. In Canton Yang emphasised that there vere no major problems concerning Hong Kong but that there would always be minor matters to be settled which would prevent people like ourselves becoming unemployed. Be agreed with the thought that, whereas major issues should be dealt with on a Foreign Ministry and Embassy net, we at
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