STORIE
5
News Agency (N.C.N.A.) journalist in Hong Kong. In August
relations reached their nadir when our Mission in Peking
was attacked after our failure to respond to the Chinese
ultimatum about the suspension of communist newspapers.
This led to our placing additional restrictions on Chinese
officials in London and the Chinese retaliated by imposing
additional restrictions on our Kission in Feking and with-
holding ezit visas. On 31 August, Mr. George Brown wrote to
Ch'en Yi urging efforts at re-establishing normal relations
and proposing exchanges of nationals (including N.C.N.A.
journalists in Hong Kong for Mr. Grey) and, if no other course
was open, the withdrawal of our respective Missions. No reply
has ever been received; but there was some slight improvement
in relations. Though the Chinese made it clear that our
Mission was being held as hostages for our behaviour in Hong
Kong, some exit visas were given on health grounds.
7. By November it was evident that the communist campaign
of violence in Hong Kong had been a failure, and it was
abandoned. The local communista maintained, however, that
this was no more than a change of tactics and that it was still
their intention to keep up the pressure on the Hong Kong
Government by other means. But the atmosphere in Hong Kong
greatly improved. In November we removed the 5-mile travel
restrictions on Chinese officials in London and the Chinese
matched this by putting our Mission back on the same footing
as other diplomatic missions in Peking in the matter of travel.
SECRET
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