CONFIDENTIAL
326A
Cypher/Cat A
IMMEDIATE PERKING
TO
FOREIGN OFFICE
elno 152
1 March 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 152 of 1 March, repeated for information to Hong Kong.
3 Your telegram No. 193: Prison Visits.
I failed to obtain an interview with Mr. Hsueh, Deputy Chinese Minister Western Europe yesterday afternoon but saw him this morning when I spoke according to instructions in your telegram No. 347 to Hong Kong.
2. In reply Hsueh at first complained that original Chinese request had been made for Spring Festival and expressed dissatisfaction at delay. He then said that he agreed that detailed arrangements for visits should be made between New China News Agency and Political Adviser in Hong Kong. Only mattersof principle could be discussed in Peking. In reply to my question as to how many "patriotic journalists" would be involved he said he did not (repeat not) know but this would be no problem. He asked me to clarify our proposal for visits to "patriotic journalists". I had said that visits could be made either by employer plus one other official of the newspaper
Were or by employer and an official of New China News Agency. arrangements mainly for NCNA or for employer? I side-stepped this question by repeating that visits could be carried out either by employer plus another official of newspaper or by employer plus an Hsueh then NCNA representative, whichever the Chinese preferred. asked whether this meant two visitors for each prisoner and I confirmed that this was so.
3. He went on to say that Bank of China in Hong Kong had reported when making visit to some of their employees in prison they had met with "cruel treatment and obstruction". When I asked hi to explain this he said that Bank officials had brought some fruit candies with them but were not allowed to hand them over to the prisoners. The prison officials said that they would store them until prisoners' release. Obviously fruit would go bad. In any case, the prisoners
The Bank officials diet was inadequate and so was their clothing. had also brought some extra clothing for prisoners, but prison officials had once more said that this could only be stored until prisoners' release. I remonstrated at this and said that I knew both diet and clothing were adequate in Hong Kong prisons, most prisoners gained weight and so on. Hsueh then said he hoped when NCNA officials made their visits they would not meet with similar badtreatment and unreasonable obstruction. I replied naturally rules of the prison must be observed.
40 No more was said on this subject but from what Hsueh said I think we may assume NCNA will now approach Political Adviser in Hong Kong to arrange visits. I stressed to Hsueh that "journalists"
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