TNAG-0019-FCO40-55-Brief-for-Secretary-of-State-s-discussions-with-Hong-Kong-s--1968 — Page 17

SECRET

KEYSA POPRE STATE

members of the Mission at the end of November, was informed

on 2 December that owing to recent events in Hong Kong the

Chinese Government had reason to doubt the sincerity of the

British Government's wish to normalise relations. No exit

vicas were granted. The Chargé d'Affaires urged that punitive

actione against communist novopapers should as far as possible be

limited and as a result the Goverment servants who had been

taken up on libel actions agreed to drop claims for damagos.

The newspapers have now resumed publication.

The Border

6. After the incident of 8 July, the border area romained

unsettled and there was a cuc00ssion of minor incidents

mostly arising from the passage of villagers across the border

at the road bridge at Man Kan To and other places. At the

end of September two police constables who had inadvertently

crossöd the border while off duty were detained by the Chinese

In mid-October, a Senior Police Inspector was

soized by a group of villagers near the border at Han Kem To

and hustled across to Chinese territory. After this incident

the bridge was closed. This led to protects from the Chinese

side which claimed that villagera had the right to cross at

this point at any time to cultivate their land on the Pritish

$100.

authorities.

7. At the suggestion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in

Peking, talke ware hold in November with Chinese border officials.

They dealt with the closure of the Han Kem To bridge, the

release of the policemen detained and other border matters.

CARTOONELAT, SECRET

/After