CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELNO 547
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
31 JULY 1973
·
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 547 OF 31 JULY RFI TO
HONG KONG,
MY TELNO 54. [? 546]
DURING THE INTERVIEW, WHICH WAS IN A LOW KEY T'ANG REITERATED
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S DESIRE
TO IMPROVE RELATIONS AND ITS HOPE THAT WE WOULD TAKE QUOTE POSITIVE STEPS UNQUOTE IN THIS DIRECTION BY THE SPEEDY RELEASE OF THE CONFRONTATION PRISONERS.
2. CLEARLY THE CHINESE DO NOT RPT NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE NORMAL REDUCTION OF SENTENCES FOR GOOD CONDUCT (IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONG KONG PRACTICE)) AS A GESTURE ON OUR PART, ALTHOUGH THEY WISH WATT'S EARLY RELEASE TO BE TAKEN AS A GESTURE ON THEIRS. (IN FACT IT INVOLVES ONLY A RELATIVELY
SMALL REMISSION HOWEVER HIS SENTENCE IS DATED AND HIS RELEASE
COULD IN ANY CASE NOT REASONABLY BE POSTPONED
BEYOND NEXT MARCH.)
3. THE CHINESE MAY NOW BE DISINCLINED TO MAKE ANY FURTHER MOVES TO IMPROVE SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS, INCLUDING THE RELEASE OF CROUCH AND JOHNSTON, UNTIL WE SHOW SOME FURTHER
MOVEMENT AS REGARDS CONFRONTATION PRISONERS. IN THIS CONTEXT MIGHT THERE NOT AT LEAST BE SCOPE FOR ACTION ALONG THE LINES DISCUSSED IN HOWELLS' LETTER TO APPLEYARD OF 14 JULY?
Yes.
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CONFIDENTIAL