HER/CAT A
PRIORITY DELHI
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1161
Sosc id cony for entry in .H.K.Dept. HW
Top copy out to ...............E... Dept.
CONFIDENT I AL
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
4 JULY 1968
623
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO C C TELEGRAM NUMBER 1161 OF 4 JULY REPEATED PEKING. YOUR TELS 1456, AND YOUR 358 TO BERNE.
-606A
CHINESE EXIT VISAS COLLECTIVE DIPLOMATIC ACTION.
1.
WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO CUR MAKING SUCH A PROPOSAL
TO THE MEA. WE SUGGEST HOWEVER THAT WE MIGHT BEST PUT IT
TO THEM IN THE FIRST INSTANCE IN AN EXPLORATORY MANNER, AND AS IT WERE AS A MATTER FOR CONSULTATION RATHER THAN IN THE FORM
OF A BALD FORMAL REQUEST. THE INDIANS ARE IN A SPECIAL POSITION
AS A RESULT OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND WE MIGHT PERHAPS
OBTAIN SOME USEFUL SUGGESTIONS FROM THEM.
2.
THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED TO LEARN WHAT
OTHER COUNTRIES ARE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INITIATIVE. THEY MAY WELL ASK US ABOUT THE SOVIET BLOC, THOUGH THEIR
OWN OMISSION SHOULD NOT PROVE A DECISIVE OBSTACLE TO INDIAN
COOPERATION IF THE VAR AND YUGOSLAVIA AGREE TO ACT.
3.
GENERALLY THE INDIANS MAY BE HESITANT IN VIEW OF THEIR
OWN BAD RELATIONS WITH CHINA: AND IN ANY CASE THE IMPACT OF
INDIAN REPRESENTATIONS THOUGH PLAINLY MUCH BETTER MADE IN
DELHI IS NOT LIKELY TO BE GREAT.
4.
THE MEA HAVE RECENTLY TWICE ASKED US WHETHER OUT STAFF
IN PEKING ARE BEING GRANTED EXIT PERMITS FREELY AND HAVE
EXPRESSED CONCERN WHEN TOLD THE SITUATION, WE UNDERSTAND
THEIR OWN STAFF HAVE HAD NO DIFFICULTY OF THIS KIND. MEA
HAVE PROVED COOPERATIVE IN THE PAST, E.G. IN OFFERING TO TRANSMIT MESSAGES ON OUR BEHALF LAST AUGUST, AND THEY MAY STILL BE CONSIDERED TO OWE US COOPERATION IN RETURN FOR
OUR HELP OVER COMMUNICATIONS WHEN THEIR MISSION WAS UNDER SIEGE IN JUNE 1967.BUT AT THE OFFICAL LEVEL THEY TEND TO
/ADVOCATE
Li
REF
606A
ALAT
ROY
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN Ancuivre No. 63 - 5 JUL 1968
THUASN