EN CLAIR
PRIORITY FOREIGN OFFICE TO BEKING
69
TEI? 19
UNCLASSIFIED
18 JANUARY, 1968 (F)
259
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 69 OF 18 JANUARY REPEATED
FOR INFORMATION TO HONG KONG.
TRAVEL NOTIFICATION.
ACTING HEAD OF FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT SUMMONED MA CHIA-CHUN
ON 18 JANUARY TO DISCUSS NOTIFICATIONS OF TRAVEL MADE BY THE
REPRESENTATIVE OF CHINA OCEAN SHIPPING AND A MEMBER OF THE
COMMERCIAL OFFICE TO VISIT A CHINESE SHIP IN LIVERPOOL ON 19
JANUARY. DENSON SAID THAT A SIMILAR JOURNEY HAD BEEN ALLOWED
ON 15 DECEMBER SINCE WE HAD WISHED TO DEMONSTRATE OUR WILLINGNESS
TO PUT WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE CHINESE MISSION HERE AND YOUR
MISSION IN PEKING BACK TO NORMAL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SINCE THEN THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAD MADE NO
REPLY TO THREE SEPARATE REQUESTS BY MEMBERS OF YOUR MISSION TO
TRAVEL TO SHANGHAI AND TIENTSIN. SINCE THESE REQUESTS HAD THUS
IN EFFECT BEEN REFUSED WE WERE NOT REPEAT NOT PREPARED TO ALLOW THE PRESENT JOURNEY TO LIVERPOOL. WE WOULD HOWEVER BE VERY HAPPY TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE MISSION IN LONDON TO TRAVEL
TO LIVERPOOL OR OTHER PARTS OF BRITAIN PROVIDED THAT REASONABLE
REQUESTS TO TRAVEL IN CHINA BY MEMBERS OF YOUR MISSION WERE
ALSO APPROVED.
3. MA SAID THAT THE TWO OFFICIALS CONCERNED WERE TRAVELLING
ON ENTIRELY NORMAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY, FINDING A PRETEXT TO PREVENT THEM WAS A 'SHAMEFUL ACT OF RETALIATION'', WHICH CREATED NEW OBSTACLES IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
THE PRESENT ABNORMAL STATE OF RELATIONS HAD BEEN CREATED
SINGLE HANDED BY H.M.G. IT WAS HYPOCRITICAL TO TALK ABOUT 'SIMILAR FACILITIES'' AND ''1 MP ROVING WORKING RELATIONS''
THERE WAS NO REAL SINCERITY. THE PRESENT UNJUSTIFIABLE
RESTRICTIONS ON THE EXIT AND ENTRY OF CHINESE PERSONNEL TO
BRITAIN SHOULD BE CANCELLED IMMEDIATELY. HE THEN RAISED THE
/QUESTION
LAST
REF.
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