CONFIDENTIAL
the wording of the report carefully voids committing the ChinesO
Governsent to any auch position. As suggested in my submission
of 3 January, there are good grounds for regering it as a
defensive response to our recently publicity compaign. (1 return
to this point below.) Nor can we be cart in that the Chinese
have said their last word about their price. The NCNA statement
could represent a maximum bargaining position; on the other
hand we do not know with absciute certainty that, were the
elever reasining news workare released, Chinese demands would end
there. 11 we aan et te with certainty is that the NCHA statement
hum somewhat narrowed the area of mɔnoeuvre which the Chinese
permit themselves.
(3) Paragreth 2
acnette
(1) It may be groed
r. Cradock conceder, while
NORA
trying to avoid doing so, that the NCNA statement is not clear-cut
nd that it does not provide a guarantee that were the news
workers released we should secure the rolesse of Er. Grey.
(11) "By local standarda zessage is in very large letters":
This is a matter of opinion. Valike Fr. Cradock, se believe
that the HONA attement does contin ooniderable defensive
element. It echoes precisely recent statements by Communist
leaders in Hong Kong who have attempted to defuse the publicity
campaign about Fr. Grey by throwing the moral burden for hie
Aetention bok on H.V.G. Their argument has run
How can you
attack us for holding Grey while you are holding thirteen now
2
CONFIDENTIAL