last Karch. I am therefore obliged to ask you yet again to
transmit to your Government a request to supply details of the
charges, if any, against these British subjecte and in
accordance with international practice to allow consular access
to them.
7. As regards the British Mission in Peking, I have noted
with satisfaction that a number of exit visas have been granted
to members of the Mission staff in particular to Sir Donald
Hopson. There remain however the cases of Mr. Appleyard and
Mr. Hunter, two members of the diplomatic staff of the British
Mission and their families for whom the applications for exit
visas have been outstanding for a considerable time. Chinese
practice in delaying visas is in striking contrast to that of
my own Government which imposes no restrictions on the
movements in and out of the country of the staff of your own
/ Mission.
CONFIDENTIAL
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- 4
Mission.
I must therefore press once again for the speedy
issue of exit visas for these two officers and their
families.
Far Eastern Department,
6 September, 1968.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND NOTE
British Subjects known or believed
to be detained in China
1. Kr. Anthony Grey, Reuters correspondent in Peking was placed
under house arrest on 21 July 1967 in retaliation for the arrest
and conviction of Haueh P'ing a correspondent of the New China News
Agency in Hong Kong on charges arising out of his activities during
"confrontation".
After repeated representations Sir Donald Hopson
and a member of his staff were allowed to visit Mr. Grey for about
twenty minutes on 23 April last in return for a special visit by
N.C.N.A. personnel to their former employees and other "patriotic
journalists" imprisoned in Hong Kong. No other visits have been
allowed. He is permitted to write to his family and fiancée. and to
receive letters from them. No charge of any sort has ever been
laid against Kr. Grey.
2. Mr. George att - was detained and placed under house arrest
in his hotel in Lunchow on 26 September, 1967. He was sentenced to
three years' imprisonment for alleged spying by a Lanchow court on
15 March this year. We believe that Mr. att may have been
indiscreet and have taken photographs in unauthorised places. Shortly
before his detention his wife was allowed to leave China; but she
was thoroughly searched at Shanghai before her departure when the
Chinese took from her photographs and letters from other engineers
in Lanchow to their families.
Mr. att's having been a spy.
LI
There is, however, no question of
Since Mr. Watt's arrest a Chinese
court in Peking has annulled Vickers-Zimmer's contract with the
CONFIDENTIAL
/Technical
CONFIDENTIAL
1
2
1
Technical Import Corporation and has fined the firm £650,000.
In July Mr. Watt was allowed to write to his wife and the Chinese
authorities have undertaken to allow him to receive mail from
his family and one food parcel per month through the Red Cross.
Mr. att has beer. told that he may write one letter each month
to his wife. The arrangements for this correspondence are in
hand but we have not yet had confirmation that they are working.
3. Kr. Norman Barrymaine, a freelance journalist, was detained
at Shanghai on 23 February this year, while a passenger aboard a
Polish vessel. He was probably seeking copy and possibly photo-
graphs for articles about conditions in China.
4. Hr. P. D. Crouch, the Second Officer of the "Demodocus", was
detained at Shanghai on 3 April this year when the ship sailed
without him. The Third Officer, who was detained at the same time,
has since been deported to Hong Kong. Both officers were accused
of espionage activities, and the Third Officer may have taken notes
of the numbers of Chinese naval vessels in Shanghai.
5.
Captain P. K. Will, was detained at Tang-ku, off Tien-tsin on
or about 3 July, 1968. He has been accused (probably justly) of
infringement of harbour regulations.
6.
Kr. J. F. Saunders, was detained at Shanghai on or about
15 August, 1968. He was the Third Mate of the "Rushpool", a
U.K.-registered vessel on charter to the Chinese. We do not know
the charge if any against Mr. Saunders but understand that he had
taken a note of the numbers of four Chinese naval vessels.
7. Mr. Eric Gordon and Family. On 3 February Mr. Gordon's
brother reported to us that although the family had been due to
/leave
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-3
3-
leave China in early November last year no news had been
received from them since the end of October.
Mr. Gordon was
employed by the Chinese government-controlled Foreign Languages
Press in Peking. We have been unable to confirm that he has
been detained but it is the only possible conclusion in view of the
family's long silence.
8.
Reports reached the British Mission in Peking in March this
year that the following British subjects, all of whom were employed
by the Chinese authorities, had been detained towards the end of
1967.
Mrs. Epstein (née Elsie Fairfax Cholmondley)
Mr. Michael Shapiro
Mr. David Crook.
We have been unable to confirm the fact of their detention but
consider it extremely likely.
9. Krs. Gladys Yang. In mid-July this year our Mission in
Peking received unconfirmed reports that Mrs. Yang, who is British
by race and birth and married to a Chinese, had been detained about
a fortnight previously. She worked as a literary translator for
the Chinese. We have been unable to obtain confirmation of this
report.
Far Eastern Department
6 September, 1968.
CONFIDENTIAL
5/9
Sir D. Allen
Parliamentary Office
CONFIDENTIAL
MR. DAVID JOHNSTON
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No 31 -3SEBU
E5/4.
14
Flag A
(103
Problem
Mr. David Johnston, the Manager of the Chartered Bank in
Shanghai, who had just handed over to his successor, was
arrested on a spying charge on 25 August (Peking telegram No. 778).
Despite repeated representations in Peking, the Chinese
authorities have given no information about the case and they
have refused permission for a member of the Mission to visit
Shanghai to see Mr. Johnston. (Peking telegram No. 810.)
We have to decide what further action should be taken, in
particular whether and in what form publicity should be given
to the case.
Recommendation
2.
a)
b)
I recommend that:-
Kr. Foley summon the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires on
6 September to repeat our demand for information and for
access to Mr. Johnston. The call would be used as the
occasion to inform the press about the facts of the case.
If for any reason the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires is
unavailable, a statement should be released to the press on
6 September and the Chargé d'Affaires summoned next week.
I attach a draft press statement and notes for unattributable
background comment. The Board of Trade concur.
/Background and Argument
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- -
2 -
Flag
Flag
101
103
Background and Argument
3. Then Mr. Johnston was arrested, Mr. Cannings to whom he had
recently handed over the Bank's affairs, was present and heard
a warrant being read out in which it was alleged that
Mr. Johnston was guilty of "spying against the People's Republic
of China". When questioned about what the alleged acts of
espionage were, the Chinese replied "Why do you ask, you know
very well?". (Peking telegram No. 806). To our knowledge
there is no basis whatsoever for a charge of spying.
Mr. Johnston like other foreigners in Shanghai has acted with
great discretion. It seems likely, as the Chargé d'Affaires
in Peking has suggested, that the arrest is a result of the
"spy mania" which is prevalent in China, particularly Shanghai,
and that Mr. Johnston may in some way have been incriminated
by statements made under interrogation by a Belgian National,
Mr. van Roosbroeck, who was arrested a few weeks ago. The
Chartered Bank think the arrest might be connected with
difficulties which they have had with the Bank of China in
Singapore, details of which are contained in Foreign Office
telegram No. 807 to Peking. In my view this is unlikely to be
the main cause; but the Chinese might well use the arrest of
Mr. Johnston to try to put pressure on the Bank over the
Singapore affair,
4. In the case of other arrested British subjects, such as
Mr. Watt, of Vickers-Zimmer, we considered that publicity might
harm their chances of early release and we therefore discouraged
Experience over the past year would seem however to suggest
it.
that little
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Flag F
99
that little is to be gained by playing down affairs of this
kind. On the contrary, it seems possible that, in some cases
at least, the Chinese may be sensitive to accusations of
uncivilised behaviour. The Chargé d'Affaires in Peking has
recommended strongly that we make the facts of the case public.
(Peking telegram No. 786). He is supported by Sir Donald Hopson
to whom I have spoken. The Chartered Bank also accept the need
for publicity. The Board of Trade have acquiesced with some
reluctance. From the point of view of press and parliamentary
interest in this country it is clearly desirable that we should
not seem to be concealing the facts about a British subject in
difficulties in China, or about the conditions in which British
businessmen in China have to work. I therefore consider that
the press should be told about the case soon it is already
known to the foreign community in Shanghai and there is therefore
the possibility that it could become public at any time.
5. As regards the statement, I think it should be confined to
the bare facts as we know them, and contain no polemics. It
would probably be better to omit specific reference to charges
of espionage as this will merely give added currency to
unsubstantiated Chinese allegations. We could however say
unattributably that at the time of his arrest Hr. Johnston was
spoken of as "an enemy of the Chinese People's Republic". In
answer to questions, the Chartered Bank have agreed that they
too will make no reference to espionage. They will express
surprise at what has happened and add that their relations with
the Chinese have always been good, making no reference to
/ difficulties in
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-
4
Flag G
Flag H
difficulties in Singapore.
independently, they will
If the Singapore story should break
that they see no reason to connect
what happened in Singapore with the case of Mr. Johnston.
6. As to the way in which we inform the press, I think there
would be advantage in first summoning the Chinese Chargé
d'Affaires as we might well be asked why in the absence of
progress in Peking we had not broached the matter in London.
If however Kr. Shen Ping is for any reason unavailable, I
suggest that we should make the statement on Friday 6 September,
and then summon him next week. Apart from the possibility of
Mr. Johnston's arrest becoming known, the timing is also important
for another reason. The Chinese have invited representatives
of Simon Carves and I.C.I. to begin negotiations in Peking on
Tuesday 10 September with a view to completing the contract
for a plant being constructed by Simon Carves at Lanchow in
North-West China. In normal circumstances, we might well have
discouraged them from going but we, the Chargé d'Affaires in
Peking and the firms concerned consider that in the interests
of extricating other representatives of Simon Carves now in
China they should accept the invitation and try to finish their
business as quickly as possible. The Chargé d'Affaires was
consulted about the coincidence of a statement on Johnston and
the visit of Simon Carves and I.C.I. (F.0. telegram No. 811 to
Peking) and recommended (Peking tel No. 809) that the visit
should proceed but that the party should not leave until after
the statement on Mr. Johnston had been made. It would be
CONFIDENTIAL
/ possible
CONFIDENTIAL
- 5-
leave
possible for them to have on Monday 9 September or, if there
were a hold up, to tell the Chinese that their departure has
But they would like to go as soon as
had to be postponed.
possible.
7. When the arrest of Mr. Johnston becomes public, it will inevitably
stimulate questions about other British subjects in China, particularly
the British community in Shanghai. Following
the arrest of Mr. van Roosbroeck their morale suffered a serious
blow and it will have become still worse following Fr. Johnston's
arrest. The Chargé d'Affaires has recommended that publicity
be given to the cases of all British subjects who have applied
for exit visas and have not yet been allowed to leave.
Details are contained in the notes for unattributable background,
and a reference might be made to them by Mr. Foley.
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank representatives are in a special
category in that the Bank is negotiating with the Chinese in Hong Kong
to close the Shanghai branch or had it over to Chinese staff. In normal
circumstances, they would have preferred no publicity about exit visas,
but in view of Mr. Johnston's arrest they
accept that reference will have to be made to their representatives
whose exit visas are being withheld.
No mention will, of course,
be made of their negotiations for closure.
James Umay.
Copy to: Dr. I. Russell, BOARD OF TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL
(James Murray)
5 September, 1968.
I agree with this and support the chrommendations.
Denis Allen: Za
PRESS STATEMENT
For issue after call of Chinese Chargé d'Affaires
on Mr. Foley
ON THE RECORD
The Chinese Chargé d'Affaires a.i., Kr. Shen Ping, was
to-day summoned by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
Kr. Foley's purpose was to raise the case of Kr. D. C. Johnston,
of the Chartered Bank in Shanghai. The facts of the case
are these.
Kr. Johnston was arrested by the Chinese authorities in Shanghai on 25
August. Repeated representations have been
made by the British Chargé d'Affaires in Peking, but the
Chinese authorities have failed to provide any information about
the charges against Mr. Johnston and have refused the application
by a member of the Office of the British Chargé d'Affaires in
Peking to visit Shanghai to see Mr. Johnston. Kr. Foley
expressed strong dissatisfaction at the attitude of the Chinese
Government, and repeated the demands made in Peking that
information be provided about the case and Consular access to
Kr. Johnston permitted. Mr. Shen Ping undertook to report
the representations to his Government.7
UNATTRIBUTABLE COMENT
The Chinese authorities have given us no information about any charges
against Mr. Johnston nor was the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires able to do
so, but we understand that at the time
/ of his arrest
.
- 2 -
+
-
of his arrest he was described as "an enemy of the Chinese
People's Republic".
an accusation.
We know of no justification for such
We are in close touch with the Chartered Bank who, like
us, know of no action by Hr. Johnston which might have
justified his arrest.
This
Mr. Foley also referred to the cases
of other British subjects detained in China.
REPLIES TO POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
point conter be
necuell in The Tamile
Kind
statement.
The British community in Shanghai consists of some 30
people, about one third of whom are of dual British/Chinese
nationality. No consular visits by members of the British
Mission have been permitted by the Chinese authorities since
their closure of the British Office in Shanghai in May 1967.
Apart from Mr. Johnstone, whose replacement is already in
Shanghai, two other families, the Selfs and the Croziers, both
working in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation's
Shanghai Branch, have been due to leave China for a considerable
time. The Chinese have, however, declined to give the
necessary exit visas. Mrs. Self is in poor health, and the
Croziers' daughter has suffered attacks of bronchitis.
would not be advisable for her to remain in Shanghai for
another winter.
ADVICE TOBRITISH SUBJECTS
It
We are ensuring that anyone whom we know to be contemplating
a visit to China is fully aware of the situation there.
Circumstances of visits, however, vary and each case must be
treated on its merita.
/ BACKGROUND
-3-
BACKGROUND
British subjects known or believed to be in detention,
apart from Mr. Johnston
placed under house arrest, 21 July, 1967.
(a) Hr. A. Grey
-
(b)
Mr. George Watt
-
detained in Lanchow 26 September, 1967.
Sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for
alleged spying, 15 March, 1968.
(c) Mr. Norman Barrymaine
(a) Mr. P. D. Crouch
(e) Capt. P. M. Will
(f) Mr. J. F. Saunders
-
detained at Shanghai, 23 February, 1968
detained at Shanghai, 3 April, 1968.
detained at Tangku on or about 3 June, 1968
←
detained at Shanghai on or about
15 August, 1968.
(Mr. Saunders was 3rd Mate of the "Rushpool", a U.K.
registered ship on charter to the Chinese.)
(g) Mr. Eric Gordon and family
-
no news of them since end
October, 1967.
(h) Mrs. Epstein (née Elsie Fairfax-Cholmondley) - reported
detained end 1967.
(1) Mr. Michael Shapiro
(j) Mr. David Crook
-
reported detained end 1967
Ħ
(k) Mrs. Gladys Yang
-
In mid-July the British Mission in
Peking received unconfirmed reports that
Mrs. Yang, who is a British Citizen by
birth, married to a Chinese had been
detained about a fortnight previously.
Enquiries to the Chinese authorities have
elicited no reply.
(112290) DL 391999 1000w 269 10w.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret. Secret.
Confidential,
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT surmission
Type 1 +
To:-
Tw. wifford
Mr. David Johnston
From
JAL Morgan
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
There, Watt's
in China
only
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