102
CONFIDENTIAL
Hriz
34111
1
GR 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 230411Z OCT 81
TELEGRAM NUMBER 641 OF 23 OCTOBER
TO ROUTINE FCO
INFO HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 445: TAN XICHOU
98
૮૧૯
NO
1.24/11! Pas plu
97
See/122
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED TO LIANG SHANGYUAN ON 22 OCTOBER. ATKINSON SAID THAT THE MATTER HAD BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION BETWEEN NCNA AND PA IN HONG KONG SINCE 15 AUGUST. HONG KONG HAD PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR A SOLUTION. ATKINSON REHEARSED THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF HONG KONG TELNO 374 TO US. HONG KONG WISHED TO COOPERATE BUT HAD TO ACT WITHIN THE LAW. HOWEVER, THE SHENZHEN MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES HAD NOT AGREED TO SEND WITNESSES TO HONG KONG A NECESSARY PART OF THE LEGAL PROCESS. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY LI RUOHE ON 14 OCTOBER WAS BEING URGENTLY INVESTIGATED. THIS MIGHT CREATE A NEW SITUATION BUT, IF IT DID NOT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MIGHT HAVE TO REPEAT THEIR REQUEST TO NCNA THAT A CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD TESTIFY IN COURT IN HONG KONG. COOPERATION SHOULD BE A TWO- WAY AFFAIR. (ATKINSON ADDED, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND THAT TAN HAD MADE FREQUENT VISITS TO HONG KONG BEFORE HE ABSCONDED).
2. LIANG WAS AS AFFABLE AS HE HAD BEEN ON 01OF C'S PREVIOUS CALL, AND MERELY REPATED HIS HOPE THAT, IN THE INTERESTS OF ANGLO- CHINESE AND MAINLAND-HONG KONG RELATIONS, THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG WOULD RETURN TAN TO CHINA. HE AGREED THAT THE MATTER WAS BEST HANDLED 'ON THE SPOT' IN HONG KONG BY THOSE WHO KNEW THE DETAILS OF THE CASE AND WERE CLOSER TO THE ACTION.
3. ATKINSON SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD NOW AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF HONG KONG'S ENQUIRY INTO THE MATTER OF TAN'S SON. LIANG AGREED.
CRADOCK
LIMITED
HK & GD POD
MR DONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
noted Pas BU R weeks
-weeks 20/10 ске
26/10
noted Pan
BU Xweeks 4/n
SE
9/11