CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2560
OF 141044Z AUGUST 91
CONFIDENTIAL
ADVANCE COPY COPY HKCO 10/1 (dont
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001352
MDADAN 2712
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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG stitching
YOUR TELNO 1476: NCNA: CHEN ZHESHENG.
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1. WE HAVE ALWAYS TENDED TO BE WARY OF GIVING NCNA INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRATION CASES. PARTLY THIS HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF LEGAL CONCERNS (ILL DEFINED, ADMITTEDLY): BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT WANT NCNA TO GROW ACCUSTOMED TO ASKING FOR THIS AND POSSIBLY OTHER KINDS OF INFORMATION WHICH WE WOULD NOT NORMALLY
MAKE PUBLIC.
2. YANG'S APPROACH DID NOT REMOTELY SUGGEST THAT NCNA'S CONCERN WAS WITH CHEN'S SAFETY OR WELL-BEING, EVEN THOUGH BRADLEY GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THIS WAS THE CASE. THE EMPHASIS ON NO (NO) PUBLICITY MADE PLAIN THEIR ACUTE EMBARRASSMENT ABOUT THE WHOLE AFFAIR. WE THINK IT UNLIKELY THEY WOULD RAISE A ROW ABOUT IT. IF THEY WERE SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT CHEN, OR ANNOYED WITH US, WE THINK THEY WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE REQUEST UP. THEY HAVE NOT, DESPITE HAVING A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AT A LUNCH HOSTED FOR MEMBERS OF NCNA FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPT, BY BRADLEY ON MONDAY 12TH. THIS EVENT PASSED IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF THE UTMOST CORDIALITY. AND DESPITE DEALING IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS YANG DID NOT (NOT) ASK IF WE HAD
FOUND OUT ANYTHING ABOUT CHEN.
3. NEVERTHELESS WE AGREE IT WOULD DO NO HARM IN THIS CASE TO TELL THEM. IF THEY ASK AGAIN WE WILL CONFIRM CHEN LEFT ON AF179 ON 7TH AUGUST. BUT WE WILL AVOID SPECIFYING WHETHER WE HAD THE INFORMATION FROM IMMIGRATION RECORDS OR THE AIRLINE. THE LATTER, INCIDENTALLY, CLAIM THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF PASSENGER LISTS, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY. PERHAPS THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FEND OFF
ENQUIRIES ABOUT THIS CASE.
FORD
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL