PRIORITY CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
147
(PN)
FM FCO 3414302
filet pa
вык
CONFIDENTIAL
5/0
1972
TO PRIORITY PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 775 OF 4 OCTOBER INFO HONGKONG.
FOLLOWING FROM NEWS DEPARTMENT.
LAST
T
NEXT
MY TELNO 744 OF 26 SEPTEMBER (NOT TO HONGKONG)
REF.
149
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO PEKING: PRESS ARRANGEMENTS,
1. WE HAVE TODAY SENT A LETTER TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY ATTACHING A
LIST OF THOSE CORRESPONDENTS WHO WISH TO VISIT PEKING AT THE TIME
OF SIR ALEC'S VISIT. (LIST IN MIFT). WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU
WOULD MAKE A PARALLEL DEMARCHE TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN PEKING, IN THAT CONTEXT, YOU MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF POINTS IN
YOUR LETTER USEFUL:
(A) THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THE
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY WOULD GIVE THE NECESSARY CLEARANCE OF
ALL THOSE JOURNALISTS AND SUPPORT CREWS FROM BRITISH PUBLICATIONS AND BROADCASTING ORGANISATIONS SHOWN IN THE LIST,
(B) IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF THIS CLEARANCE COULD BE GIVEN AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE JOURNALISTS CONCERNED HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO MAKE THE NECESSARY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS,
(C) IN ADDITION TO THE BRITISH, TWO AMERICAN ORGANISATIONS ARE ON
THE LIST. WHILE THESE ORGANISATIONS ARE IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY FROM THE OTHERS, BOTH OF THEM HAVE A LARGE BRITISH READERSHIP) AND PROVIDED NUMBERS PERMIT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD ALSO GIVE THEIR APPLICATIONS FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION,
(D) MOST JOURNALISTS WILL APPLY THROUGH THE LONDON EMBASSY FOR THEIR VISAS, HOWEVER, SOME WILL EITHER APPLY DIRECTLY TO PEKING OR THROUGH THE CHINA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE OFFICE IN HONGKONG
CONFIDENTIAL
/(E)