Taipei, 18 July 1972
Secret Personal
One last note—again requiring no answer—to complete my comments on recent letters about China policy. I appreciated the Secretary’s reply 1 very much, and also your own note about the possible duration of my posting.2 I’ .l wait—more or less patiently—and try to sort out the personal problems arising from this situation as best I can.
My only remaining comment is a slight variation of the view of the desirability of ‘ritualistic negotiations’ expressed in my last letter3 to you. I am not convinced that we need conclude that ’steady progress’ towards normalisation of relations with the PRC is impossible because Peking shows no interest in such an approach and will not meet us half–way. It depends on how one defines ’steady progress’ ; we may have been speaking about different concepts. The Government’s ideas about developing exchanges in other fields in the absence of recognition has never seemed very promising to me. However, unless we are wedded to that particular concept of progress, it seems to me that, even if Peking’s position remains absolutely unchanged, the way is open to us to make ’steady progress’ towards normalisation by approaching the PRC’s position step by unilateral step, at our own pace.
[NAA: A1838, 3107/38, xi]
1 Document 336.
2 12 July. It was written in response to a letter of 26 May in which Dunn had indicated that he found the uncertainty of his position ‘a bit unsettling’ . He had added that he would be more satisfied to be in a place where he could ‘do more constructive work’ .mdash;though he preferred to go to another post rather than return to Canberra. In reply, Anderson replied that the Secretary sympathised with his position, and noted his desire for another overseas position, but did ‘not feel able to make any decision at present’ .
3 Document 337.