Canberra, 8 March 1972
Secret
China Dialogue
We have despatched to Renouf the telegram of instructions approved earlier this week,1 and have also sent him the exchange of messages with New York.2 We have in addition sent him a covering telegram (copy attached).3
2. You will see from para. 4 of the covering telegram that we think Mr Renouf will need further guidance. We think this because of the reaction of Chou, the officer in the Chinese UN Mission who is responsible at working level for political affairs, whom Merrillees reports as having noted that the Prime Minister was reported to have referred to an ‘independent Taiwan’ and as having intimated that if such a concept represented Government policy nothing could be usefully discussed. Chou has undertaken to report the conversation to Peking, and we must expect Peking to take the same attitude as has Chou.
3. It seems to us that we should meet this Chinese objection head–on from the very outset and not wait until, as we think highly likely, Peking raises it in response to Mr Renouf’s approach. Were we to wait until Peking raises it, or were Mr Renouf to be unable to respond to questioning by the PRC Ambassador during his initial call, our approach might well get off to a bad start from which because of Chinese suspicions it might never recover.
4. I accordingly recommend that you authorise the despatch of the attached telegram to Mr Renouf.4
5. I attach an additional copy of this submission and its attachments in case you wish to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister.
H.D. Anderson
First Assistant Secretary
Asia Division
[NAA: A1838,3107/38118/2,i].
1 Document 313.
2 Documents 308, 309, 310 and 311.
3 Document 312.
4 Bowen approved the recommendation; the cablegram is Document 315.