enter op.a;
theS.M
Du Royle
1. Sur L. Manson
28,1
a Sir S. Tomlinson
2. Mr Marg
PED
11
Å
Secrety of State
laquea
CONFIDENTIAL
El
472189
Principle but
feel thank it would be umuise to pren thee Goves wor at this stage by supporting
"The remander of (EC
that
Sir L. Monson o.r. (4 January) Primers dronto be
Miss Deas
Private Secretary
Kleesid
within this next yree". therefore consider
tzt
should at likes the past I have bracketed in Page 3
of the Draft te ligam CONFRONTATION PRISONERS IN HONG KONG
Drept preed with
reservation in mind kund
er
L ་
Could we hot-bayar following the release that the furious as withi (Anthony Roy vencion we could then consider a time table for the velcare Whether we have now reached a point in Sino-British lives!"
Problem
lijungth
relations when it would be in our wider interests, including
in the longer term those of Hong Kong, for the Governor to
be asked to consider releasing further confrontation prisoners.
Recommendation
2. That the Secretary of State should send a personal
telegram on the lines of the attached draft to the Governor
of Hong Kong.
Argument
3. The Chinese have now made abundantly clear their wish to
normalise and improve relations.
By releasing i
n
they have removed the only serious obstacle remaining from
our point of view. They now see us as having a moral
responsibility to respond and have left us in no doubt about
the response they prefer. In informing Mr. Denson in
Peking of M
's release they handed him a memorandum
(Peking telegram no. 843) requesting the release of the 74
Chinese still detained in Hong Kong after the events of 1967.
14.
40751 PAŃCIL
10sit 7/1.
CONFIDENTIAL