584
CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat A
PRIORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 559 13 June 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 559 of 13 June Repeated for information to Hong Kong
My immediately preceding telegram.
Following is suggested text. Begins.
Since 22 August 1967 when Chancery Building was burned down, the Chargé d'Affaire's residence sacked and the Chargé d'Affaires and his staff assaulted by mobs, members of staff of British Mission in Peking nave been detained in Peking necessitating repeated applications for exit visas.
2. The Chinese authorities have granted exit visas in a limited number of cases on medical or compassionate grounds for wives and children. They have in three cases granted exit visas to sick male staff. They also in May 1968 granted visas to six junior members of Mission staff. However, they have so far granted no exit visas to any staff above rank of Attaché (except for two First Secretaries applying on medical grounds) despite repeated applications. They have as recently as June implied that normal issue of exit visas depend on settlement on Chinese terms of a number of political questions outstanding between Chinese and British Governments.
3. Following attack on their Mission on 22 August the British Government informed the Chinese Government that Chinese officials in London would need exit visas before leaving United Kingdom (British officials in China have all along had to obtain such visas). Of late no applications were made by Chinese staff to leave United Kingdom and on 13 April 1968 the British Government informed Chinese Government that this requirement was lifted and that from then on no restrictions would be applied to freedom of movement of Chinese officials in and out of United Kingdom. Chinese officials can leave Britain without hindrance when they wish and have recently done so. All applications for entry visas for Chinese wishing to travel to United Kingdom have been granted and they will continue to be dealt with according to normal rules.
4. Despite this complete freedom on British side the situation described in last sentence of paragraph 2 above obtains in Peking i.e. senior British staff have still received no exit visas and political conditions for normal granting of exit visas have been reiterated.
5. This detention of Diplomatic agents and attempts to impose political pre conditions for their release is a most serious matter of
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