CONFIDENTIAL
3.
In
We accordingly decided that in this difficult situation
the least unsatisfactory approach was to let matters take their
course and to wait for the release of Hsueh, the New China News
Agency correspondent in prison in Hong Kong, with full remission
on 16 November in the hope that this will result in Grey's release
We have recently received indications from delicate sources
in Hong Kong that the Chinese may indeed be contemplating the
release of Grey shortly. We can only hope that this is correct.
To avoid any possibility of misunderstanding, N.C.N.A. in Hong
Kong have been informed that provided he behaves himself in the
meantime Hsueh will be released with full remission on 16 Novembe:
Meanwhile we have been faced with a new development.
Hong Kong the N.C.N.A. have demanded a visit to all the
imprisoned news workers. Formally, this may be taken as a
delayed response to our offer in July of a further round of
special visits in Hong Kong in exchange for a further visit to
Qway.
But coming at this moment the Chinese nove can be assumed
to have a special significance. One possibility, we very much
hope the true one, is that the Chinese are simply trying to
extract the last ounce of propaganda advantage by visiting
their news workers before Grey is released (whereupon they
automatically lose this lever). However, we must also reckon
with the possibility that by agreeing to a further exchange of
visits at this time they simply hope to divert pressure on them
regarding the plight of Mr. Grey without necessarily planning to
release him. Another worrying reature of the N.C.N.A. demand
/ for a
CONFIDENTIAL