Commonwealth Office pass Hong Kong 26.
Sir D. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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News Dept.
Consular Dept. Personnel Dept. J.I.R.D.
0.0. H.K. Dept.
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CONFIDENTIAL
Q0000
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
F2:278
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP CU!
IMMEDIATE FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
TEL NO.49 12 JANUARY 1968 (F.E.D.)
CONFIDENTIAL
127
LAST
RES
| 113
Now
see tekings reply: tel
по крв
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELNO 49 OF 12 JANUARY REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO
HONG KONG.
118
p.a
MY TELEGRAM NO 27.
SUN DAY TIMES ARTICLE HAS AROUSED LITTLE INTEREST. AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE
AND/OR QUESTIONS ARE HOWEVER LIKELY AFTER PARLIAMENT REASSEMBLES ON 16
JANUARY AND THIS WILL PROBABLY INCREASE PUBLIC INTEREST.
2. WE SHALL BE CONSIDERING EARLY NEXT WEEK WHETHER WE SHOULD OURSELVES
GIVE PUBLICITY TO GREY'S CASE IN THIS COUNTRY. (1.R.D.
ARE ALREADY PUBLICISING THE STORY ABROAD IN THE GENERAL CONTEXT
OF CHINESE TREATMENT OF FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BUT THIS IS UNLIKELY TO BE
PLAYED BACK HERE.) THE ADVANTAGE OF TAKING THE INITIATIVE WOULD BE THAT
WE WOULD BE BETTER PLACED TO SEE THAT THE STORY WAS PUT ACROSS IN THE
MOST EFFECTIVE WAY. WE WOULD NOT SEE THIS AS NECESSARILY CONFLICTING
WITH SEPARATE ATTEMPTS BY MEANS OF ADMINISTRATIVE RELAXATIONS TO IMPROVE
WORKING CONDITIONS FOR YOU AND FOR THE CHINESE MISSION HERE.
3.
+
PUBLICITY, WHETHER INSPIRED OR NOT, IS HOWEVER LIKELY TO LEAD TO
PRESSURE FOR ACTION AGAINST NCNA IN LONDON IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY MOVE BY
THE CHINESE, LAST YEAR WE ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES IN SECURING
INTERDEPARTMENTAL AGREEMENT TO CLOSE NCNA IN RETALIATION FOR THE
TREATMENT OF GREY. SUBJECT TO THE VIEWS OF OUR OWN MINISTERS, WE MAY
RETURN TO THE CHARGE AND TRY TO OBTAIN AGREEMENT TO THREATEN THE CHINESE
WITH CLOSURE UNLESS THEY RELEASE GREY, BEING READY IF NEED BE TO CARRY
OUT THE THREAT,
4.
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS BY A.M. MONDAY, 15 JANUARY ON WHETHER YOU STILL
SEE VALUE IN PUBLICITY OF GREY'S CASE EVEN IF IT LEADS TO THE
CONSEQUENCES REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH.
SOSPA
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION:
FO: F.E.D.
NEWS DEPT
CONSULAR DEPT
CO: HONG KONG DEPT
CONFIDENTIAL
1833/12/1
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No. 128
DEPARTMENT
F.E.D
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
PRIORITY MARKINGS
Date)
"Top Seared"
-Secret- Confidential -Restricted
Unchssified
-Emergency}
Immediate
- Routine
* Date and lime (G.M.T.) telegram should
reach addressee(s)
12:
22
YER
Despatch
- En Clair, Code- Cypher
Draft Telegram 10:-
No.
PEKING
(Date)
And to:-
[
Security classification
CONFIDENTIAL
A INI I
IMILIMANIMA
[Codeword-if any]
Addressed 10.
יור
Peking
49
telegram No.....
49
...(date)
-----
12/1
12 1
And to..........
repeated for information to
Hong Kong
Saving to
- L
Repeat to:
HONG KONG
85
Saving to:--
Distribution:-
F.E.D.
Newa
Consular
JIRD_C". H.K.D
Copies to:-
My telegram No. 27 Grey
4.
Sunday Times article has aroused little
interest. An adjournment debate and/or Questions
are however likely after Parliament reassemblea
on 16 January and this will probably t
increase public interest.
2. We shall be considering early next week
whether we should ourselves give publicity to
Gray's case in this country. (I.R.D. are already
publicising the story abroad in the general
context of Chinese treatment of foreign journalists
but this is unlikely to be played back here.) The
advantage of taking the initiative would be that
we would be better placed to see that the story wa9
put across in the most effective way. We would
not see this as necessarily conflicting with
separate attempts by means of administrative
relaxations to improve working conditions for you
and for the Chinese Mission here.
CONFIDENTIAL
13.
!!
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
3.
Publicity, whether inspired or not, is however likely to
lead to pressure for action against NCNA in London in the
absence of any move by the Chinese. Last year we encountered
difficulties in securing interdepartmental agreement to close
NCNA in retaliation for the treatment of Grey. Subject to the
views of our own Kinisters, we may return to the charge and
try to obtain agreement to threaten the Chinese with closure
unless they release Grey, being ready if need be to carry out
the threat
4. Grateful for your views by a.m. Monday, 15 January on
whether you still see value in publicity of Grey's case even if
it leads to the consequences referred to in the preceding
paragraphs.
(23247) (7)
HIVES AR
FZ13/2
Cypher/Cat A
EN
120
123
CC
CONFIDENTIAL
FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
Telegram No. 46
CONFIDENTIAL
11 January, 1968 (FED)
123
Your telegram No. 35: Grey.
Reuters confirm that Grey's mother received a Christmas cable. They only
knew of one other, to themselves.
SOSFA
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.O. F.E.D.
D.D. & P.U.S.D.
News Dept
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J.I.R.D.
C.O. H.K.D.
F.E.P.D.
$8388
CONFIDENTIAL
لاة
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
No. Fc1318
Registry No.
DEPARTMENT
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
* Date and time (G.M.T.) adfegram should
reach addressee(s)
PRIORITY MARKINGS
(Date)
Despatche
Ruh
Immediate }
Priority Routine
וזוזז/ויוי
DAIZ|·
20
-IIII+WA
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
En Clair. Code Cypher
Draft Telegram to:-
No.
Pering
(Date)
And to:-
Repeat to:-
Saving to:--
[Security classification]
[
Privacy marking -if any
[Codeword-if any).
Addressed to
1
-1-11 -ייי
Lebong
telegram No.
--------.........ILYJE
(date)
Hi..
And to
Distribution:-
As tet under
ein text.
Copies to:-
mf.
repeated for information to
Saving to
CONFIDENTIAL.
--------
Your telegram No. 35:
Reuters confirm
Stristmas cable.
a
other to themselves.
That
Grey's
fry.
mother
received
They only knew of
80%
OKE
Dad will be ba
+
Eutes
SUNDAY TIMES
Cutting dated
- 7 JAN 1059
19
Reference.....
F
126
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.31
11 JAN 1968
FC13/8
I
:
Anthony Grey.. played tele- phone chess.
Forgotten prisoner of Peking
By Adam Hopkins
NEW MOVES are being made to free Anthony Grey, the 28- year-old British
Journalist who has been in solitary confinement since July in his house
in Peking. Mr Anthony Royle, the Conservative MP who is chair- man of
the Commons all part committee on Hongkong. seeking an adjournment debat
and other behind-the-scen Moves are going on.
Mr Grey, Reuter's correspor ent in the Chinese capital, was put under
house arrest as a re prisal for the imprisonment of Communist
Journalists In Hang- kong for inclting terrorism
Mr Royle has already asked the Foreign Secretary. Brown, to reimpose
travel re strictions on the London staff of the New China News Agency,
Outil November 22 tough re sirictions were in force because of the
sacking of the British Muston in Peking--these were essed when the Union
Jark was raised once more in China.
Mr Grey last went out of his house on July 21 when he was ) told by the
Foreign Ministry that he was going to bẹ con Aned because of the British
Government'; refusal to take note of repeated Chinese warn- ings about
Fascut atrocities committed In Hongkong." This was shortly after a
Chinese Journalist in Hongkong had been sent to prison for two years.
Chinese guards were put on the dear of the house, and his friends
refused admittance. He used his phone for a month, occasionally playing
telephone chess with diplomat friends, but this came to an end on August
18 when his house was invaded by Red Guards, Slogans were Glaubed on the
inside wall, and
cholber Grey was hurt is unknown. He has not been seen Ance by any
Westerner.
the
Mr Grey's Chines; publicly humiliated (masses in a football stadiuen.
He was accused of being "collaborator with the British spy imperialist
journalist Grey."
A week after Britain Lifted travel restrictions on Chinese officials in
London in November to their former 35-mile limit, Peking relaxed
restrictions on members of the British mISSION in China. But Grey
remained under house arrest.
In
Constant British attempts are being maile to gain consuler access to
Grey. The two New China News Agency men prison in Hongkong are receiv-
ing visits and the British argue that Grey should at least receive
parily of traatment.
At the same time the British Government has been trying to strike some
kind of hargain with the Chinese for Grey's release- but nobody is
talking about this #t the moment. And Mr David Chipp, Reuter's manager
for Ana, made a tour of several Far East countries to contact the
Chinese and plead for Grey's release.
Things may recently have im proved for han On Decem ber 2 friends were
allowed to drtiver a parcel to his house and during the week after
Chrutioas be sent out a series of cables.
+
Grey joined Reuter four years ago from the Eastern Dally Press, where he
won a travel award for being an outstand ing young journalist." Befor
going to Peking a year ago, hi was Reuter's representative East Berlin.
CODE 18-76
1244)
Reference.
FC13/8
Kr. Wilson (FED)
I
When we were discussing the case of Anthony Grey, the Reuters
correspondent, today I mentioned that we had had some success in placing
China Topic Y.B. No. 446, "The Hazards of being a Foreign Journalist in
Peking". enclose a cutting from the Ceylon Daily News of 20 December
which carried the China Topic in full. The newspaper has always been a
good user of IRD material but I think that the article also appeared
because it repre- sented the Chinese government as obstructing the
legitimate news gathering activities of all foreign correspondents based
in Peking. As I said on the telephone, I am sure that this would be the
most effective way of presenting the story abroad, if our objective is,
as it must be, to achieve Grey's release by damaging China's image where
it hurts.
son مرا به
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I have already
са
go ahead
Greg
Сале
witt
(C. Wilson) 8 January, 1968
1sta 7239
publicsing the
abroad i
the context
Trealand' of all freif jounalist Mr. Wilson TM. c. Wilson (.c.cucha 2/:
and g
Yo me and
Mr. C. Wilson spoke to me Son's the same,
F
Fc13/18 (1124)
TODAY
'The hazards of being a foreign
journalist in Peking
T
The events
Y. Kupekor
2. Arsboer of 20
ordered to four by Dece
There are now said to be only & active foraign correspondents in China
instead of the 35 esti- mated to have been based In Peking before August
1958. Some hare been expelled by the Chinese, others have been recalled
by their offi- ces or else have decided not to return to Paking after
home leave owing to the tucreasing diffi- cuifia, afieched to
newsgathering in Ching.
and Ball, David Domes
Before be
leave they
dikelas what
Hazards of posters
thing the
Laber in 100g a Bosher.
dentist bow Bus
AMT".
Lana Jurlangde vette
Physical safety
Consorship continues
tos, both permita and
For the 20
the burling
Che
of reporting
Difficult to leava
Not
Loners the
danger, the
Ceylon Daily News
20.12.67.
+
CHINA
TOPICS
Kund
€13/8
Documentation on specific
current topics taken mainly from the Press and radio of the Chinese
People's Republic
W-124)
YB No. 446 (International
lți ns Gun.ral 12)
November 10, 1967.
THE HAZARDS OF BEING A FOREIGN JOURNALIST
IN PEKING
There are now said to be only 5 active foreign correspondente in China
insteal of the 35 estimated to have been based in Peking before August
1966. Some have been expelled by the Chinese, others have been recalled
by their offices or else have decided not to return to Peking after home
leave owing to the increasing difficulties attached to newsgathering in
China.
Chinese Expel Foreign Journalists
The first foreign journalists to be expelled by the Chincee for
reporting on the events of the cultural revolution were three Soviet
correspondents, L.Y. Kosyukov of Izvestia, A. S. Krushinski of
Komsomolskaya Fravda and G.K. Arslanov of Tass who were ordered to leave
the country by December 25, 1966. The Chinese, who did not specify which
of the six Soviet correspondents in China should leave the country,
claimed that because there were only three Chinese newsxen in Moscow
only three Russian reporters could be allowed in Peking. At the same
time the Chinese made it plain that the reason for their new attitude
was Soviet "slandering" of the cultural revolution. ▲ Soviet statement
protesting against the Chinese decision pointed out that the Russians
hao never sought to limit the number of Chinese reporters in the Soviet
Union and described Peking's action as "an unprecedented act in
relations between Socialist States".
The procedent was subsequently followed, however, by the expulsion in
April 1967 of the Yugoslav correspondent of Tanjug, Branko Bogunovic. He
was given 6 days notice and ordered to leave the country on April 13,
five days before the expiry of his current visa. He was told that the
reason for his expulsion was the consistently hostile tone of his
reporting over a long period, which had been "distorted and slanderous".
One month later a fourth Soviet journalist, V. Pesenchuk of Pravda, was
declared "persona non grata". In a statemont read to him on May ↳ by the
Deputy Chief of the Press Department Pasenchuk was accused of slandering
the cultural revolution and Mao Tse-tung. According to Pravda of May 5
the statement also contained "rude accusations against the CPSU, the
Soviet Government and the Soviet people".
* Tass (1), AFP (2), Poland (1), N. Vietnam (1).
2.
The most recent expulsion was of three Japanese correspondents: Eashira
of Mainichi, Shibata of Sankei Shimbun and Tanaka of Nishi Nihun. The
reason given by the Chinese for these expulsions was that the three men
had sent home hostile reports on the cultural revolution and hat they
supported the Sato government, which the Chinese described as "more
reactionary" than any previous Japanese government. The New China News
Agency (NCÑA) report of September 10 added:
"What is particularly intolerable is that they have viciously directed
their spearhead against our most respected and beloved great leader
Chairman Mao, the red sun that shines most brightly in the hearts of the
people all over the world".
However since six other Japanese journalists, some of whom had also
written outspoken reports on the situation in China, were allowed to
remain it is believed that the real reason for the expulsion of their
three colleagues was that the latter had been over-enthusiastic in
collecting information from posters.
Problems of reporting on Chine
Control over the collecting and despatching of material by foreign
correspondents tightened in early 1967, The job of news- gathering had
never been made casy. A Japanese correspondent of Asahi wrote in July
1966 that he had only attended two press conferences since his arrival
in September 1964, and that contacts with the ordinary Chinese people
were severely limited. For instance foreign newsmen were treated in the
same way as all foreign visitors, and on entering a restaurant were
invariably, regardless of their wishes, ushered into a special room
segregated from the Chinese clientele.
In the early stages of the cultural revolution foreign corres- pondents
were encouraged to publicise what was going on without reserve, They
were permitted to road wall posters and even to photograph
"powerholders" in Junce's caps being paraded through the streets.
However on December 13, 1966, Router reported from Tokyo that Japanese
correspondents had been refused permission to send radio photograph. of
Red Guard cartoon postera attacking the former Mayor of Peking, Peng
Chen, and on January 6, 1967, the Reuters correspondent in Poking was
not allowed to transmit reports of the appearance in the city of posters
attacking Chou En-lai. "Revolutionary workers" at the telegraph office
refused to transmit both the report and also the account of its
censorship. In June an order was issued fɔrbidding foreign
correspondents to read or take notes from wall postors at all.
The Hazards of Reading Fosters
Even before tho June order foreign journalists had on occasion been
harrassed by groups of Red Guards and had their film or notebooks
confiscated. The Jepanose nowa agency Kyodo raported on August 27, 1966,
that Red Guards had surrounded and repeatedly questioncd_the
correspondent of Chunichi and finally confiscated his film. On February
3, 1967, the Feking correspondent of the Czech news agency, CTK, was
surrounded by revolutionaries, who daubed his car inside and out with
anti-Soviet slogans. Prague radio (February 3) claimed that officials of
the Chinese Tourist Bureau had tried to extract a statement from him
that he was serving Soviet "rovisionism". Later the same month a
correspondent of the Bulgarien nows agency, ETA, was "maltreated and
offended" (BTA, February 8, 1967).
On May 15 the Canadian correspondent of the Toronto Globe and Mail,
David Oancic, was attacked by a crowd of Chinese when he tried to take
photographs of anti-British alogane pasted up outside the house of the
Routers correspondent, Anthony Grey. A crowd closed round him and he was
forced to remin sitting smoking calmly in his car for
3.
half an hour while the mob rocked the vehicle from side to side.
Eventually he was allowed to leave. Later in May a leuter report
described how East European correspondents had been prevented by Red
Guards from taking notes from posters. One was surrounded for ho an
hour, accused of being a spy and finally made to relinquish his
notebook. On June 22 BEA reported "increasing discrimination against
certain socialist correspondents accredited to Peking", saying that many
were being refused permission to visit towns usually open to foreign
visitors and were not being invited to attend official meetings and
rellies.
Physical Safety in Question
After Juno it was unsafe for all but the Japanese correspondents, who
were able to mingle more easily with the crowds, to study the wall
posters; and even for the Japanese this was a hazardous undertaking
Kyodo reported on July 18 that Junichi Konno, staff correspondent of the
Japanese Communist newspaper Akahata, and two Japanese Communist Party
(JCP) members had been ordered by the JCP to return home because Chinese
"repression" had not only made their activities impossible but was even
"endangering their lives".
A typical incident occurred during a public demonstration in July
involving the Canadian correspondent, Cencia, the Norwegian journalist
Harald Hunthe-Kaas and the Swedish cultural attaché. For 90 minutes the
three men were besieged in their car, which was battered and jumped on
by the angry crowd. The car windows were smashed and the men were cut by
glass splinters and punched and spat upon. They were then taken for
separate questioning to the Public Security Bureau and Dancia was
accused of allowing an illegal tape recording to be made. For several
hours officials tried to persuade him to sign a confession that he had
"provoked the masses" but he refused. After this incident Oencia was
recalled by his head office. The following month Munthe-Kaas was
recalled after being warned by the Chinese that his news reporting was
"unfriendly towards China"
Difficulty in Leaving Feking
Not all foreign Journalists, however, have been fortunate enough to be
able to leave Chine without trouble. One of the three Japanese
correspondents expelled in September has recounted in his ncwspaper
Mainichi (September 21) how despite the expulsion order he was unable to
obtain an exit permit owing to the refusal of the Press Bureau of the
Chinese Foreign Ministry to have dealings with one who was "no longer a
correspondent in Peking". The Transport Corporation in turn refused to
pack his possessions until he obtained an exit permit. Before he and his
family were eventually allowed to leave they were taken to a spucial
investigation room in the Customs House near Canton where he was
interrogated and where their baggage, including the children's toys, wes
cxtensively soarched. Altogether, he recalled "I was treetod rs a spy".
Less fortunate still is the Reuters correspondent, Anthony Grey, who has
been held under houso arrost and incommunicado in Fokin, since mid-July
and against whom no charges of misreporting nows have yet been made.
Physical Violence Stops but Censorship Continuge
Thysical attacks on foreigners, both journalists and diplomats, have
virtually ceased following an order by Chou En-lai banning violent
demonstrations against foreign establishments in Peking. This order was
issued shortly after the burning and sacking of the British Legation in
Peking at the end of August.
4.
However although their personal safety may no longer be in danger, the
work of foreign correspondents is still severely hampered. Censorship,
which did not in the past feature among the limitations pled by the
Chinese on foreign newsmen, has now been added to the problem of
severely restricted access to information. Since the Wuhan incident in
July, when Mao's envoys to that city were kidnapped by the local
military commander acting in conjunction with local opposition elements,
cables have been closely scrutinised. The Canadian reporter Oanciz has
related how on July 22 he and a French correspondent were told that
cables they had prepared on street demonstrations and other subjects had
not been transmitted. The Peking correspondent of the Japanese paper
Nihon Keizai has also told how the Post Office refused to accept his
cable reporting an incident involving several Japanese businessken who
were taken out of their hotel bedrooms on July 24 and manhandled by a
crowd in the corridor while Fublic Security men searched their rooms.
Under the present circumstances the foreign press corps in Feking has
been reduced by about half and only five foreign correspondents remain
active.
Cypher/Cat A
CONFIDENTIAL
IORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 35
10 January, 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
RECEIVED IN "ARCHIVES No.31
11 JAN 1958
F43/8
123
Your telegram No. 1134.
A member of my staff has heard from Grey's (Reuters) girl friend in
England that she received a greetings telegram from Grey over Christmas.
Do you know if Grey's mother also received a cable?
Sir D. Hopson
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.O. F.E.D
D.D. & P.U.S.D.
News Dept J.I..G.D. J.I.K.D. News Dept
C.O. H.K.D.
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cofrica Pak.