CONFIDENTIAL
THE TALKS WITH HUANG HUA PRODUCED NO SURPRISES BUT COVERED
A LOT OF USEFUL GROUND. ON HONG KONG, ON WHICH I SHALL BE COMMENT- ING SEPARATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO REAFFIRM THE COINCIDENCE OF SINO-BRITISH INTERESTS AND OUR WORRIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW MEANINGFUL THE CHINESE ASSURANCES ARE ON THE LATTER, BUT THEY WERE GIVEN AT THE TOP LEVEL.
9. ON CAMBODIA, THE PRIME MINISTER WAS ABLE TO CONVEY OVER DINNER SOMETHING OF OUR VIEWS ON POL POT. BUT GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF CHINESE FEELING, AS EVINCED IN HUA'S LONG STATEMENT ON THE NEED FOR SUPPORT FOR 'DEMOCRATIC KAMPUCHEA', I HOPE THAT IF WE MUST MOVE TO DERECOGNITION WE SHALL DO SO IN SLOW TIME AFTER CONSULTING ASIAN AND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE IN CONCERT WITH SOME OF OUR EEC COLLEAGUES.
10.
THE VISIT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THE CHINESE LEADERS RATHER MORE CLOSELY. I CONFESS HUA REMAINS SOMETHING OF AN ENIGMA. HE PERFORMED IMPRESSIVELY. HE WAS WELL PRE- PARED (HE REFERRED TO NO BRIEFS), CAREFUL AND WATCHFUL, AND SCARCELY PUT A FOOT WRONG. HE WAS TECHNICALLY INTERESTED AND QUITE WELL INFORMED. HE WAS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH POLITICS RATHER THAN CEREMONIAL, AND EVEN IN OXFORD IT WAS THE DISCUSSION WITH MR MACMILLAN AND THE LATTER'S REFLENCE TO THEDANGERS OF APPEASEMENT THAT MATTERED TO HIM. BUT IN VIRTUALLBUA WEEK'S VISIT, ! SAW NO HUMAN MOMENT WHEN HE REALLY REVEALED HIMSELF, OR, WHAT IS PERHAPS MORE REMARK ABLE, NP
REALLY HUMAN EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIM AND ANY OF HIS ENTOURAGE, HE CLEARLY IS AUQA CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE FROM THEM. BY CONTRAST,
YU QIULI REVEALED HIMSELF READILY AS THE TYPICAL OLD CHINESE SOLDIER, TECHNICALLY QUALIFIED IN CERTAIN FIELDS SUCH AS 01YBN REMARKABLY IGNORANT IN MANY OTHERS, BAFFLED BY MUCH OF THE CERE MONIAL BUT SOMEONE WITH WHOM IT WAS RELATIVELY EASY TO
STRIKE UP A REAL RELATIONSHIP.
z CONFIDENTIAL
/19.
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