Canberra, 5 December 1972
780. Secret Immediate
Personal for Dunn.
Relations with PRC
Instructions are being sent to Renouf to inform his PRC colleague that we wish to open immediate negotiations for mutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Prime Minister will probably announce this decision at a press conference this afternoon.
2. It has been decided that you should leave Taipei to return to Australia as soon as you can complete the necessary arrangements but in any case within 7 to 10 days of receipt of this message. Arrangements for the despatch of your sea luggage can be made by the office after your departure.
3. Please seek an early opportunity to pay a farewell call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs. You should inform him that negotiations are being opened for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Peking, that you are being recalled ‘for consultations’ and that in your absence Godfrey–Smith will act as Chargé d’ .ffaires a.i.1 (If pressed, you may express the personal view that it is unlikely that you will be returning to Taipei). You should say in any case that we expect to conclude in the near future an agreement for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Peking, that we shall then be obliged to discontinue diplomatic relations with the ROC, but that we should be interested thereafter in maintaining unofficial relations in trade and other fields. For this purpose we would have in mind setting up an unofficial office in Taipei which would perform no political or official function and whose activities would be confined to trade promotion and facilitating the movement of persons, particularly businessmen, between Taiwan and Australia. (If asked, you could say that a similar unofficial office might be set up in Sydney or Melbourne). You should further say that our trade agreement would necessarily lapse but that trade might continue to be conducted on a basis consistent with its provisions. Details of these arrangements, however, could be worked out later at a lower level.
4. We shall be sending you further instructions on other administrative arrangements including matters related to official premises.
5. We are informing the British that upon the termination of diplomatic relations with the ROC we shall be unable to accept any residual responsibility whatever for British interests in Taiwan.
[NAA: A1838, 3107/38/18/6, i]
1 That is, Chargéd’ Affaires ad interim.