CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG TELAHAL, 241 TO MONWEALTH OFFICE
312) (V) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 225, PARAGRAPH 4. OBVIOUSLY THE MORE
OFTEN 'SPECIAL VISITS' ARE REPEATED, THE MORE WE DISCRIMINATE
IN FAVOUR OF COMMUNIST PRISONERS, AND THE GREATER RISK OF
EMBARRASSMENT HERE. I WOULD NOT ENTIRELY EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY
OF LATER EXCHANGES OF VISITS IF THE FIRST SET WENT WELL AND WE
ACHIEVED THE QUID PRO QUO IN RESPECT OF GREY: BUT I WOULD
SUGGEST THAT WE ENTER INTO NO COMMITMENT ON THIS POINT IN
OUR FIRST APPROACH TO THE CHINESE:
(VI) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 325, PARAGRAPH 5. I WOULD DO MY BEST
TO ARRANGE VISITS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT THIS DEPENDS
ON NUMBERS AND WHETHER ANY ADVERSE INTEREST IN THESE VISITS
IS AROUSED PUBLICLY.
2 I WOULD STILL PREFER NOT TO CONDUCT THESE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH
NCNA IN HONG KONG SEMICOLON BUT IF WE DO SO I WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE
THAT IT BE DONE BY EXCHANGES OF MESSAGES CAT LEAST AT FIRST) BECAUSE
(A) IF WE DISCUSS POINTS OF SUBSTANCE CAS OPPOSED TO PURELY ADMIN-
ISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS) WITH NONA HERE WE ACCORD THEM IN EFFECT THE
QUASI-CONSULAR ROLE THAT CCF PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM 323) WE
WISH TO AVOID CONCEDING.
(B) THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE INTRANSIGENT ABOUT HONG KONG PROBLEMS,
THAN THE MFA AND OUR CONTACTS WITH THEM ON OTHER MATTERS HAVE BEEN
RESTRICTED TO EXCHANGES OF MESSAGES ON THE TELEPHONE. IT COULD BE
DIFFICULT AND TAKE TIME TO GET A TWO-WAY DISCUSSION ARRANGED. CTHERE
COULD EASILY BE LONG ANGURENTS ABOUT MEETING PLACES).
(C) A DISCUSSION WITH NCNA COULD BE MORE EASILY REPRESENTED BY THEM
AS FORCING US INTO NEGOTIATION HERE. THIS IS NOT TO SAY HOWEVER THAT
IF PROPOSALS FOR A DISCUSSION AROSE NATURALLY AND WITHOUT RISK OF
EMBARRASSMENT WE COULD NOT CONSIDER IT.
3. YOUR TELEGRAM 324, PARAGRAPH 3.
I SEE CONSIDERAPUC RISKS IN GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE
PRI PARI D
ALLOU
TO AN UNI MITED NUMBER CAS PARAGRAPH 1CAD
OF TELEGRAN JUI QUIS TO IMPLY) I! WE ARE TO ARGUE ABOUT THE MATTER
IN HONG KONG LATER. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT WE SHOULD NOT OFFER
CONCESSIONS ON MATTERS WHICH ARE OF SUBSTANCE TO US BEFORE THE
CONFIDENTIAL
/CHINESE