CONFIDENTIAL
VISIT OF MR. IVOR RICHARD, M.P.
TO HONG KONG: MAY 1970
Sino-British Relations
10/
ti
ツ
Line to Take
If Mr. Richard is asked about the state of our relations with China he should say that our relations are showing a gradual but real improvement. The release of four British subjects this year is a good sign and our trade is doing well. But we have made clear to the Chinese Government on many occasions that the continued detention of
seven British subjects, and the refusal of the Chinese authorities to give us information about, or allow us access
to, any of them cannot but be a serious obstacle in our
relations.
Background
2.
Since the beginning of this year the Chinese have
released four British subjects. These are Mrs. Martin and Mr. McBain (who were detained in October last year) and Captain Ray of the "Anchises" and Mr. Duff of the "Glenfalloch",
who were detained in March this year and released two to three
weeks later. The seven British subjects still detained, or believed to be detained, in China are Mr. George Watt(sentenced to three years' imprisonment for alleged spying on 15 March, 1968), Mr. P. D. Crouch (Second Officer of the "Demodocus"). Mr. D. C. Johnston (former Manager of the Shanghai branch of the Chartered Bank), Mrs. Gladys Yang (British wife of a Chinese national, together with Mrs. Epstein, Mr. Michael Shapiro and Mr. David Crook, who were previously employed by
the Chinese authorities themselves. The Chinese authorities
/ have still
CONFIDENTIAL