RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.50
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFJUL 1969
Tel No.587
=
24 July 1969
FEC 132.
UNCLASSIFIED
Addressed FCO telegram No.587 of 24 July, repeated for information to
Peking
Your telegram No.476. [Brooke and Grey cases].
I agree. We will act accordingly.
Sir D. Trench
FILES:
F.E.D.
E.E.S.D.
H.X.D.
P.U.S.D.
News Dept
Sir S. Tomlinson
Sir L. Monson
Sir T. Brimelow
P.S. to Lord Shepherd
P.U.S.
P.S.
SECRET
ADVANCE COPIES SENT:
908
pakoz0f7
TELEGRAM SECTION Room 124 K.C.S
Communications Department
TO:
FED
Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent
зду
Hong Kong 537 To FCO
لا
Box 500
4/0 R.203
PUSD
J.ST. (FEART)
(Signed).. (Department)..
Action taken in Communications Department:
(Initials)..
We
(Date)..
(Date). 24/7/65
AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE REGISTRY FOR
RETENTION
YTC/1
TO CO
***
5 IN
petes 3017
28 JUL 1969
EN CLAIR
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2115
1 kc acti
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
25 JULY 1969
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 2115 OF 25/7 REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION SAVING TO PEKING AND HONGKONG.
ANTHONY GREY.
WASHINGTON POST OF 25 JULY AS A FOOTNOTE TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE RELEASE
OF THE SOVIET SPIES CONTAINS A REPORT, ASCRIBED TO REUTERS, THAT YOU HAD
TOLD NEWSMEN THAT BRITAIN HAD OFFERED TO RELEASE THIRTEEN PRO-PEKING
CHINESE NEWSMEN IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RETURN OF ANTHONY GREY. IT
CONCLUDES: QUOTE PEKING TURNED THE
OFFER DOWN, SAID STEWART UNQUOTE.
FCO PASS SAVING TO PEKING AND HONGKONG.
MR FREEMAN.
FILES
7.3.D.
H.K.D.
NEWS DEPT.
CONS DEFT.
I.R.D.
I.P.D.
!
1907
CYPHER/CAT'A'
ROUTINE HONG KONG
TEL NO 589
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
24 JULY, 1969
(906)
pak070/7
CONFIDENTIAL
9044
ADDRESSED FCO AS MYTEL. NO. 589 OF 24TH JULY RFI PEKING.
MY TELEGRAM NO. 581: SPECIAL VISITS TO NEWSWORKERS.
THE VISITS TODAY TO THE NINE NEWSWORKERS IN STANLEY TOOK PLACE
WITHOUT INCIDENT AND ACCORDING TO THE USUAL PATTERN. THE VISITS
LASTED 40-50 MINUTES.
2.
VISITS TO THE TWO FEMALES IN LAI CHI KOK WILL TAKE PLACE
TOMORROW.
FCO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE PEKING.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
i
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F. EASTERN D.
CONS. D.
H.K.D.
I.P.D.
I.R.D.
NEWS DEPT.
CONFIDENTIAL
GGGGG
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+
+
J
+
A
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SECRET
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TEL NUMBER 476
905
COF
TO HONG KONG
peko 3017
DATE 23 JULY
(F.E.D.)
FEC 134/1
SECRET.
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 476 OF 23 JULY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO PEKING.
See aunex
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 566: THE BROOKE AND GREY CASES. BROOKE IS NOW DUE TO
ARRIVE IN THIS COUNTRY TOMORROW MORNING, 24 JULY. THE STATEMENT WILL BE
MADE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AT 3.30 P.M. (BST).
•
2. WE AGREE THAT IN COPING WITH ATTEMPTS TO LINK BROOKE AND GREY OUR
GENERAL LINE MUST BE THAT THE TWO CASES ARE BY NO MEANS STRICTLY
COMPARABLE. (INCIDENTALLY THE KROGERS ARE NOT BEING FORMALLY DEPORTED:
IT HAS BEEN AGREED WITH THE RUSSIANS THAT UPON THEIR RELEASE ON/24
OCTOBER. THE KROGERS, WILL BE FREE, TO GO TO ANY, DESTINATION OF THEIR
CHOICE). THE FOLLOWING FURTHER DEFENSIVE POINTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE USE IN THE HOUSE AFTER THE STATEMENT HAS BEEN MADE..
+
(A) - THE SOLUTION OF THE GREY CASE BY AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY GREY
RETURNED TO THE U.K., AND THE NEWSWORKERS IN PRISON IN HONG KONG
RETURNED TO CHINA WAS NOT OPEN TO US. IT BECAME OBVIOUS AT AN EARLY
STAGE THAT A SOLUTION OF THIS TYPE WAS QUITE UNACCEPTABLE TO THE
CHINESE.
(B) WE HAVE NO LESS CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF GREY THAN FOR THAT OF
BROOKE. HOWEVER, IN THE CASE OF GREY IT NOW SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THE
CHINESE WILL DELAY HIS RELEASE ONCE THE NEWSWORKERS HAVE COMP- LETED
THEIR SENTENCES BY EARLY OCTOBER: AND UNLIKE BROOKE, GREY IS KNOWN TO BE
IN REASONABLY GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS.
(C) THE PREMATURE RELEASE IN HONG KONG OF THE NEWSWORKERS WOULD HAVE
INVOLVED INTERFERENCE WITH THE JUDICIAL PROCESSES WHICH MIGHT HAVE
UNDERMINED LOCAL CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG,
3. WE MAY WELL BE ASKED SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE PRESS WHETHER WE ARE STILL
UNWILLING TO CONTEMPLATE AN EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS IN HONG KONG
SECRET
/FOR GREY
[
SECRET
2
FOR GREY (OR INDEED FOR OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS IN DETENTION). YOU WILL
RECALL THAT IN HIS COMMUNICATION TO CHEN YI AT THE END OF AUGUST 1967 MR
GEORGE BROWN OFFERED TO TRY TO ARRANGE THE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG TO
CHINA OF THE NEWSWORKERS IN RETURN FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT GREY AND OTHER
BRITISH SUBJECTS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE CHINA, THOUGH THE TEXT OF
THIS LETTER HAS NEVER BEEN PUBLIC, REUTERS AND OTHERS DIRECTLY INVOLVED
IN THE GREY CASE ARE AWARE THAT IT CONTAINED WHAT WAS IN EFFECT AN OFFER
OF AN EXCHANGE. ACCORDINGLY, IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL IF IT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE TO TAKE WITH THE PRESS PRECISELY THE LINE IN THE LAST
SENTENCE OF YOUR PARAGRAPH 4. INDEED, SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE THINK
THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADVANTAGE IN REFERRING ''ON THE RECORD** IN
GENERAL TERMS TO MR BROWN'S COMMUNICATION AND SUBSEQUENT OFFICIAL
DEMARCHES. (NO REFERENCE WOULD OF COURSE BE MADE TO THE COVERT
DISCUSSIONS). WE MIGH TAKE THE LINE THAT AS EARLY AS AUGUST 1967 MR
BROWN INDICATED TO THE CHINESE HIS READINESS TO TRY TO ARRANGE, THE
RELEASE TO CHINA OF THE NEWSWORKERS IN RETURN FOR AN UNDERTAKING THAT
GREY AND OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS WOULD BE FREE TO RETURN TO THE UK. THIS
WOULD HAVE BEE A JUSTIFIABLE USE OF THE PREROGATIVE." THE CHINESE
HOWEVER
+
HAD NEVER TÅKEN OUR OFFER UP. MOREOVER IN THE DEALINGS WHICH OUR MISSION
IN PEKING HAD WITH THEM SUBSEQUENTLY IT WAS MADE QUITE CLEAR THAT
NOTHING LESS THAN THE UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS IN HONG
KONG WOULD SATISFY THE CHINESE.
4. IF THE MATTER IS RAISED BY THE CHINESE THEMSELVES THROUGH CATER, WE
AGREE WITH THE LINE YOU PROPOSE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 3.
STEWART.
FILE S
F.E.D.
1
P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD
P.S. TO P.U.S.
SIR S. TOMLINSON
SIR L. MONSON
SIR T. BRIMELOW
E.E.S.D.
H.K. DEPT.
P.U.S.D.
NEWS DEPT
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BROOKER CASE
FFFFF
SECRET
1
Registry No.
DEPARTMENT
FED
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
торбести
Secret
Restricted Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
xx
SECRET
Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should
esach addressee(s)
PRIORITY MARKINGS (Date)
Aash
Immediate
Rough
Despatched
23/1
20244
AM- - ----- b------------ndonanmız II
1.17
CYPHER
[Security_classification]
En Clair.
[
any
Privacy marking ]
-if any
[Codeword-if any)
Mark T....
....
rrr ITI-חוח י
SECRET
I
Ir. Ir ............PPS OPP.
- INZI
Xxx
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Code
Cypher
Draft Telegram to:
son
No.
Sort Kong
476
(Date) 23.7
And to:-
EXAMINI
SIGNATURE (X27.
Repeat 10:-
Peking
Saving to:-
Formally
Distribution:- Files
FED
Copies to Private Secretari Mr. Godden Mr. Baker C,
The Schaye
Sir S. Tomlinson
gir L. Monson
Sir T. Brimelow
HONG KONG
HathiT
23 July
Addressed to
telegram N........
476
(date)
And to
(MNINO-
repeated for information to
Saving to....
JIILLI............ FILIPI-----
PEKING
Makan PH
Your telegram No. 566: The Brooke and Grey cases.
Brooke is now due to arrive in this country
tomorrow morning, 24 July. The statement will be made in the House of
Commons at 3.30 p.m. (BST).
2.
We agree that in coping with attempts to link
Brooke and Grey our general line must be that the two
cases are by no means strictly comparable. (Incidentally
formally
the Krogers are not being/deported; it has been agreed
with the Russians that upon their release on 24 October
the Krogers will be free to go to any destination of their choice.) The
following further defensive points
have been prepared for possible use in the House after
the statement has been made.
لحسرة
Am arranz Ranent
(a) The solution of the Grey case by means of
colereby Frey refused to the UK, Our exšhanging him for one or several
of the
refumed to China
учился вели
newaworkers in/Hong Kong/was not open
to us.
It
became obvious at an early stage tha tesolution
EESD
HKD
FUSD
News Dept!
/of
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
WEBL 51-7406
SECRET
of this type was quite unacceptable to
the Chinese.
(b) We have no less concern for the
welfare of Grey than for that of
Brooke. However, in the case of Grey
it now seems unlikely that the Chinese
will delay his release once the news-
workers have completed their sentences
by early October; and unlike Brooke,
Grey is known to be in reasonably good
health and spirits.
un fans thans
(c) The premature release of the news - workers/would have involved
interference
with the judicial processes which might
have undermined local confidence in
Hong Kong.
3. We may well be asked subsequently by the
press whether we are still unwilling to
contemplate an exchange of prisoners in Hong
Kong for Grey (or indeed for other British
subjects in detention). You will recall that
in his communication to Chen Yi at the end of
August 1967 Mr. George Brown offered to try to
arrange the departure from Hong Kong to China
of the newsworkers in return for an assurance
that Grey and other British subjects would be
allowed to leave China. Though the text of
this letter has never been public, Reuters and
others directly involved in the Grey case are
aware that it contained what was in effect an
offer of an exchange. Accordingly, it seems
doubtful if it would be appropriate to take with
the press precisely the line in the last
sentence of your paragraph 4. Indeed, subject
to your views, we think that there might be some
advantage in referring "on the record" in
SECRET
/general
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
WOOL 51-7406
X
SECRET
general terms to Mr. Brown's communication and
subsequent official démarches. (No reference
would of course be made to the covert
discussions). We might take the line that as
early as August 1967 Mr. Brown indicated to the
Chinese his readiness to try to arrange the
release to China of the newsworkers in return
for an undertaking that Grey and other British
subjects would be free to return to the UK,
would have beam
This was a Justifiable use of the prerogative.
The Chinese however had never taken our offer up.
Moreover in the dealings which our Mission in
Peking had with them subsequently it was made
quite clear that nothing less than the
unconditional release of the prisoners in
Hong Kong would satisfy the Chinese.
4. If the matter is raised by the Chinese
themselves through Cater, we agree with the
line you propose in your paragraph 3.
SECRET
23 July
A
REGISTRY
No.
L
REPETATION OF TELEGRAMS
DSY 33
(Date)
(Despatched)
3
За
(1) OUTWARD TELEGRAM SECTION,
D.S.A.O.
Please repeat to the posts shown below telegram No.
from/se
لها
FC of Hong Kong.
Waskylagton 1666
+
476
dated
า
No. 1
Date... 267
+
23 July
---
++
----------------ni-
Flash
(Signed)
En Chair
Immediate
(Dept.)
1920
Pnority
(Date)
Cypher
Routine
T
-----
I am cow
FEJ
26 Jul 1164
(2) DEPARTMENT CONCERNED (for Archives) FED
Security classification.
(For use in Communications Department)
SECRET
WASHING Tone Clegram No...
Addressed to..
and to
Following telegram now repeated to you at request of ...........
was
received from
1666
of
26/2
Department
-,
of
July 23
Gov Hong Kong telegram No. 4...7.....
sent to EXAMINED AT 26.11.1021
SIGNATURE Peltill.
There isert from A to B of attached telegram]
WAP14926-765 392352/353458 100 pada 8/68 Grp 719
TELEGRAM SECTION
pom 124 K.C.S
Communications Department
TO:
FED
Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent
Fco 476 To Hong Kong.
Вох это
る
R 203
PUR ST (FAPT)
(Signed).. (Department). (Date)..
Action taken in Communications Department:
(Initials)..
عليا
(Date) .. 24/. 7/6.5.
24/7/60.$......
AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE REGISTRY FOR
RETENTION
YTC/1
1
CONFIDENTIAL
904
TOP COPY
CYPHER CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 581
CONFIDENTIAL.
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
23 JULY 1969.
DRESSED TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 581 OF 23
JULY REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
24 JUL 1967
PEKING TELEGRAM 403 TO YOU: SPECIAL VISITS TO NEWSWORKERS.
Ke 134/1
равно
pa 2017
NCNA CONTACTED POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE YESTERDAY AND SAID THAT THEY
WISHED TO PAY SPECIAL VISITS TO THE 11 NEWS WORKERS
IN STANLEY AND LAICHIKOK. THREE VISITORS WOULD SPEND 40 MINUTES WITH
EACH PRISONER AND THE VISITS WOULD TAKE PLACE ON TWO SEPARATE DAYS AS
BEFORE. THE N C N A SUGGESTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK FOR THE
VISITS.
2. WE HAVE INFORMED # CNA THAT WE AGREE TO THIS PROPOSAL. THE ONLY
CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME IS IN THE LENGTH OF THE VISITS BUT AS GREY WAS
ALLOWED 45 MINUTES AND AS THE NEWSWORKERS
IN FACT HAD NEARLY 40 MINUTES EACH IN NOVEMBER IT WOULD BE
UNREASONABLE TO ARGUE THE POINT NOW.
3. RELAXED APPROACH CONTRASTS WITH NOVEMBER WHEN THREE MEETINGS WERE
NECESSARY BEFORE ARRANGEMENTS WERE AGREED. THIS AND THE LATENESS OF THE
REQUEST SUGGESTS THAT NCNA ARE MERELY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AS A
QUID PRO QUO FOR THE GREY VISIT.
F.C.O. PASS PRIORITY TO PEKING,
SIR D. TRENCH.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F. EAST. DEPT.
CONSULAR DEPT.
H.K. DEPT.
I.P.D.
I.R.D.
NEWS DEPT.
FFFFF
CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat A
SECRET
TOP COPY
1902
+5p
FEL
PEKING TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 424
22 July, 1969
CRET
:
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.50
24 JUL 1969 017
KC
Addressed to FCO telegram :0.424 of 22 July, Reve tea
for information to Hong Kong.
See aument
Hong Kong telegram No.566: Brooke and Grey cases.
I agree with paragraph 5 of telegram under reference.
For this reason release of newsworkers a few weeks earlier than planned