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fx. fem CONFIDENTIAL
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TELNO 103
CONFIDENT I AL
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
11 FEBRUARY 1969
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ADDRESSED TO FCO TELEGRAM NO. 103 OF 11 FEBRUARY, REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO HONG KONG.
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MY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING TELEGRAM.
200/€
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THIS WAS AN ENCOURAGING INTERVIEW. IT WAS THE MOST
RELAXED DISCUSSION OF SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS I RECALL.
POLITE AND VERY RESTRAINED IN LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT.
2.
T'ANG WAS
IT IS OF INTEREST THAT THE CHINESE "TOOK NOTE" OF OUR
DESIRE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS AND EVEN CONSENTED TO DECLARE THEIR
OWN WILLINGNESS TO DO SO. THEY HAD CLEARLY ALSO TAKEN NOTE OF
LORD SHEPHERD'S REMARKS.
NATURALLY THE ONUS FOR SOLVING
REMAINING PROBLEMS WAS AGAIN THRUST ON US, BUT T'ANG IMPLICITLY ADMITTED THAT THIS WAS A MUTUAL PROCESS BY CLAIMING THAT THE CHINESE
HAD SHOWN WILLING BY RELEASING
3.
IT IS EVIDENT THAT RELEASE OF 11 JOURNALISTS IS FOREMOST IN
THE CHINESE MINDS. T'ANG PICKED THESE OUT AND CONFINED HIS CLAIMS
FOR RELEASE TO THEM. HIS FAILURE TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF ALL
CONVICTED PRISONERS IS SIGNIFICANT AND IT SEEMS THE CHINESE MAY
NOW REGARD THE RELEASE OF JOURNALISTS AS KEY TO FURTHER PROGRESS
NOT ONLY ON GREY BUT ON OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS AS WELL.
4.
THE CHINESE SENSITIVITY TO PUBLICITY ON BRITISH SUBJECTS
DETAINED IN CHINA AGAIN EMERGED STRONGLY FROM MEETING BUT I THINK
IT WOULD BE WRONG TO CONCLUDE FROM THIS THAT ALL PUBLICITY SHOULD BE DROPPED. WELL-JUDGED ITEMS IN FOREIGN (REPEAT FOREIGN) PRESS
SHOULD STILL BE USEFUL.
CONFIDENT I AL
/F.C.O.