Paris, 16 June 1971
2792.Secret
Dialogue No. 10
Your Telegram 2763—Dialogue 4.1
I personally have little doubt that if the dialogue is to continue, we will have to make the next move. I say this because I believe the Chinese take pleasure in making Westerners come to them. However, the question is when we should make the next move and how.
2. As to when, I believe we should wait a little longer because:—
(a) The P.R.C. always takes its time over reacting to approaches of this nature (for example, three months in the case of Belgium).
(b) The longer we wait the less the risk of appearing over-eager and, in the Chinese mind, lacking in pride.
Accordingly, if I continue to hear nothing I suggest you authorise me to move again on 28th June which could result in another round six weeks after the opening one.
3. As to how, the social occasion could be best but such occasions are rare and Rothschild (who served in China) tells me that it is infra dig to raise business at them with the Chinese. As the Ambassador only speaks Chinese, I can see no alternative therefore but to ask to see him again. You will realise that if I do so, I will be obliged to go again to the P.R.C. Embassy but I do not regard this as very important provided it does not become the pattern.
4. Have you any additional instructions for a second meeting? If not, the meeting could be brief and if we wanted to keep up the dialogue, we would be obliged to take the initiative for the third time (see the risk mentioned in paragraph 2(b) above). In asking this, I have in mind that you might be able to instruct me to spell out in more detail what you have in mind for substantive discussion.
Renouf.
[NAA: Al838, 3107/3S/18/2]
1 16 June. Renouf was informed that while Australia did not want an early substantive discussion on recognition or the Chinese representation issue in the United Nations, it ‘would not wish to see the contact that has been established wither on the vine’. Consequently, he was asked, in the absence of a social opportunity, to contact the PRC Ambassador and ask if he had had a response from Peking.