TNAG-1257-FCO40-1590-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 117

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"although there is an outside chance that China will develop its own socialist model, it is much more likely that it will pattern itself after the Soviet Union. The more the two powers come to re- semble each other, the greater the chances of a reconciliation".

6. Comment: Professor Nakajima was affable, urbane and articulate, with excellent English. But he was not a particularly likeable character. He kept us waiting for the meeting for about thirty five minutes, for which he made only the most perfunctory of apologies, and he struck me as conceited, self important, and a name-dropper. His theories on the present Chinese leadership, though perfectly plausible, are in Mr Walker's opinion somewhat maverick and do not enjoy much support among China watchers. On the other hand, he does have some standing in the FIFA (who gave me his name) and his opinions may well have some impact there; Mr Walker thought he detected some traces of Nakajima's thinking during his various calls around the Asian divisions. In sum, he is a man who would make an interesting contribution at a dinner party, but who would expect to be entertained by the senior, rather than the junior members of the Embassy, and would take any such invitations as his due rather than a privilege; a name to be held in reserve, I think, rather than one for serious cultivation. But given his apparent influence in the MFA, we should be alert to anything he writes on Hong Kong.

K~ん

cc Far East Section,

Research Dept Chancery, Peking

NK Darroch

31 October 1983

)DE 18-77

HP 4/83

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