TNAG-0027-FCO40-63-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 97

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CONFIDENTIAL

PRIO TY FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING

TELNO 1052

1 DECEMBER 1967

(FED)

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RECENTED $1 ARCHIVES N5.63

10 Jai 03

CONFIDENTIAL.

ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NO 1052 OF 1 DECEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO HONG KONG.

M.I.P.T.: N.C.N.A.

FIVE EXPATRIATE OFFICIALS OF N.C.N.A. LONDON OFFICE ARE HERE ON ANNUALLY RENEWABLE RESIDENCE PERMITS. RENEWAL APPLICATIONS WERE MADE FOR A CLERK (PI FU) ON 6 JULY, THE CORRESPONDENT (YU HANG) AND HIS WIFE (LIN CHING) ON 29 AUGUST, AND THE DRIVER (WANG TUAN-SHENG) ON 10 OCTOBER.

2. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IN THE PAST CONSIDERED ACTION AGAINST N.C.N.A. BOTH IN CONTEXT OF THEIR INCITING DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG AND LATER IN RETALIATIOM FOR TREATMENT OF GREY. NO RESPONSE HAS THEREFORE BEEN MADE TO THESE APPLICATIONS.

3. CHINESE HAVE NOW ASKED WHAT THE PRESENT POSITION IS. THIS SEEMS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO RELATE TREATMENT OF N.C.N.A.

IN LONDON TO THAT OF GREY, POSSIBLE TACTICS WOULD BE:-

(A) TO GRANT THE EARLIEST APPLICATION ONLY, (LI FU) AS AN INDICATION OF GOODWILL, AND

(B) SUMMON THE CHINESE AND SAY THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO REVERT TO NORMAL TREATMENT OF N.C.N.A. IN LONDON, NPROVIDING THAT THERE IS PROGRESS OVER THE CASE OF GREY.

4. AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO GRANT ALL THE OUTSTANDING APPLICATIONS (WE WOULD STILL HAVE THE SANCTION OF EXIT VISAS IF NECESSARY) AND THEN SPEAK TO THE CHINESE ON THE LINES OF (B) ABOVE.

5. WE ARE INCLINED TO PREFER THE ALTERNATIVE IN PARAGRAPH 4, BUT WOULD WELCOME YOUR VIEWS. WOULD ANY APPROACH BE BETTER IN LONDON, OR IN PEKING, POSSIBLY AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE COMMUNICATION YOU ARE NO DOUBT MAKING ABOUT ACCESS TO N.C.N.A. CORRESPONDENTS IN HONG KONG?

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