Mr. Moveton
SECRET
See min whe
toknowl
12/12,
MR. GREY
89/2
PROBLEM
We have to examine possible lines of action in the
case of Mr. Grey, with a view in particular to the discussions
with the Governor of Hong Kong on 13 December.
PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS
2.
My preliminary recommendations are these.
a)
b)
c)
a)
We should continue to resist pressures to take retaliatory
action against the Chinese in this country.
We should ask the Governor immediately on his return to
review the possibility of releasing all the remaining
detainees and dismantling most of the remaining emergency
measures in the near future, possibly by the end of the
year.
In other respects we should stand on a policy of firmness
in Hong Kong in the hope that the Peking authorities
will override the local communists and not attempt to
obtain a further price in Hong Kong for Mr. Grey. In
particular we should not for the present show any
willingness to bargain.
We might some time next year be compelled by humanitarian
considerations and by the pressure of public opinion in
this country (possibly orchestrated by Reuters) to
consider paying a price for Mr. Grey in terms of the release
/ of the
SECRET