CYPHER/CAT
IMMEDIATE PEKING
ZÁHÁ A AJ 1
می توان
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 546
-30 JULY 1970
F་
CONFIDENTIAL.
FEC 14/2
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM-NUMBER 546 OF 30 JULY R F TO
HONG KONG.
I WAS SUMMONED TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON AFTERNOON
OF 29 JULY TO SEE T'ANG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR WESTERN
EUROPE. HE REFERRED TO MORGAN'S CONVERSATION WITH MA ON
2 JULY AND SAID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WELCOMED HIS ASSURANCES
THAT H M G DESIRED AN IMPROVEMENT IN SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS.
THE CHINESE FOR THEIR PART HAD TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS
TOWARDS THIS END. THEY NOW WISHED TO SEE THE BRITISH
SPEEDILY RELEASE THE 95 COMPATRIOTS (A LIST OF WHOSE NAMES
IN CHINESE HE HANDED OVER) HELD QUOTE UNWARRANTEDLY UNQUOTE
IN HONG KONG. CONTRARY TO WHAT MORCAN HAD TOLD
39
MA ABOUT THE TWENTY RECENTLY RELEASED THIS HAD ONLY OCCURRED WHEN
THEIR TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT WERE COMPLETED. T'ANG
WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WATT HAD BEEN A
GOOD PRISONER, CONFESSED HIS CRIMES AND SHOWN
REPENTANCE FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE THE AUTHORITIES HAD DECIDED TO
RELEASE HIM AND HE WOULD BE DEPORTED SHORTLY.
2. IN UNDERTAKING TO PASS ON WHAT T'ANG HAD SAID TO HM G
I EMPHASISED THAT THOSE IMPRISONED IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN DULY
SENTENCED BY A COURT OF LAW AND H M G'S POSITION HAD BEEN MADE
CLEAR TO THE CHINESE, I HAD NO VERBATIM RECORD
OF WHAT MORGAN HAD SAID ON THAT OCCASION BUT I WAS
CERTAIN THAT HE HAD NOT RPT NOT SOUGHT TO MISREPRESENT THE
CONFIDENTIAL
/POSITION