CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TO HONG KONG
TELNO 346
28 FEBRUARY 1968 (F.E.D.)
922
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 346 OF 28 FEBRUARY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO PEKING.
20 YOUR TELEGRAM NO 241: PRISON VISITS,
(315
WE ACCEPT THE COURSE OF ACTION IN PARAGRAPHS 5 AND 6 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SUBJECT TO TWO MODIFICATIONS:
''
(A) SUBSTITUTION IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF AN ADDITIONAL VISIT FOR ''A SPECIAL VISIT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. (THIS WOULD ALSO INVOLVE THE OMISSION OF THE WORDS 'AS A SPECIAL CONCESSION AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS IN THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 1(A) OF OUR TELEGRAM NO 324):
(B) DELETION IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF THE WORDS AFTER AGREEMENT ON THE NUMBERS IN PEKING''. SINCE WE ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO RESTRICTING THE SCHEME TO BONA FIDE JOURNALISTS, WE DO NOT SEE HOW IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO GET AGREEMENT ON NUMBERS IN PEKING BEFORE YOU HAVE
CONSIDERED A LIST OF NAMES I IN HONG KONG, WE AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE MUST NOT GIVE THE CHINESE IN PEKING THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO ALLOW VISITS TO AN UNLIMITED NUMBER (PARAGRAPH
3 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE) BUT WE WOULD HOPE THAT THIS IS
MET BY HAVING THE CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN PEKING STRESS THAT THE
PEOPLE CONCERNED MUST BE BONA FIDE JOURNALISTS.
2. YOUR PARAGRAPH 1.
THE FOREGOING TAKES CARE OF YOUR POINTS (111) AND (V). WE ENTIRELY ACCEPT THAT YOUR POINTS (11), (IV) AND (VI) ARE MATTERS FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION IN THE LIGHT OF CIRCUMSTANCES AS THEY DEVELOP.
3. YOUR PARAGRAPH 2.
WE SEE THE FORCE OF YOUR ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE RISKS OF SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER CONDITIONS (1) TO (IV) IN
106 PARAGRAPH 5 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO 212 WOULD NOW BE MADE IN PEKING
UNDER THE MODIFIED APPROACH IN PARAGRAPH 1 ABOVE, AND YOU HAVE
AGREED THAT CONDITION (V) NEED NOT BE MADE SPECIFICALLY. THE ONLY POINTS NOW LEFT OPEN, WHICH MIGHT HAVE TO BE HANDLED IN HONG KONG, ARE:
LAST
REF.
720
NEA)
REF.
9277324
CONFIDENTIAL
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