Political publication King used during diplomacy (5)

I believe the answer is:

tract

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'political publication' is the definition.
'tract' can be an answer for 'publication' (I've seen this before). I am unsure of the 'political' bit.

'king used during diplomacy' is the wordplay.
'king' becomes 'R' (abbreviation for rex, king in Latin).
'used during' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'diplomacy' becomes 'tact' (tact can mean diplomacy or sensitivity).
'r' put into 'tact' is 'TRACT'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tract that I've seen before include "Large area; treatise" , "Large area of land or small booklet" , "Anatomical structure" , "Region; pamphlet" , "Piece of writing" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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