CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE HONGKONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2038
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
1 OCTOBER 1958
853)
{
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63
-1 OCT1968
1 HUN 2/2
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 2038 OF 1ST OCTOBER RFI PEKING.
HR
(848)
850
IACY
850
PEKING TELEGRAMS 898 AND 905. DETAINEES.
I HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON TELEGRAM NUMBER 8971
(A) PARAS 1 AND 2.
(434
AS MY TELEGRAM 2015 SAYS, WE HAVE BEEN SAILING CLOSE TO THE WIND
IN AN EFFORT TO MEET THE VIEW THAT DETAINEES CAN BE USED AS BARGAIN-
ING COUNTERS, AND THESE PARAGRAPHS AND PARAGRAPH 3CD) NOT ONLY
ILLUSTRATE THIS BUT ALSO HOW EASILY WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING CAN
DE MISREPRESENTED.
(A) PARA 3 (A) (C).
THE PRINCIPLES EXPRESSED IN MY TELEGRAM 2015 ARE, AS I SAID THERE,
NOT EASY TO APPLY, AND 1 CONCEDE THAT THERE CAN BE DIFFERENT OPINIONS
ON THE EXTENT OF THE SECURITY RISKS INVOLVED, BUT THESE RISKS DEPEND
ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING THE SITUATION AT THE THE AND THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED. THIS ASSESSMENT CAN
ONLY BE MADE HERE.
(C) PARA. 4.
ALL
(1) THERE IS STILL NO EVIDENCE THAT THE RELEASE OF DETAINEES HAS
HAD ANY BENEFICIAL EFFECT AT ALL ON SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, SUCH
EVIDENCE AS THERE IS INDICATES THAT THE CHINESE INTEND TO EFFECT
AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR OWN WAY AND IN THEIR OWN TIME, AND ARE NOT
INFLUENCED BY WHAT HAPPENS TO DETAINSES OR PRISONERS, THIS IS
BORNE OUT BY THE TENOUR OF THE REPORTS IN TELEGRAMS ENDING WITH
847 MY NUMBER 2031, WHICH ALSO INDICATES HOW LITTLE RELIANCE CAN BE
PLACED ON WHAT PASSEG OFFICIALLY POTWEEN MFA AND EMBASSY REPRESENT-
ATIVES IN FEKING. THE EVIDENCE IN THESE REPORTS MAY NOT BE CONCLUSIVE
CONFIDENTIAL
/BUT