TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 127

PEKING

Peking

Hong Kong (Immediate)

IMMEDIATE

HÀNG CŨNG

Departmental

Your telegram No. 84 and Hong Kong telegram

No. 132 to C.B: Visits to Prisoners.

We are also most anxious to do everything

possible to help Grey. We agree that the Chinese

have modified their demands to some extent, but

in essence they are similar to those made earlier

and thus open to the same objections. Apart from

the major objection of discriminating in favour of

political prisoners, we also see force in the

objections set out in paragraph 2(a) and (b) of

Hong Kong telegram No. 132.

2. The alternative proposal made by the Governor

has gone some way to meeting the difficulty about

the prisoners requesting visits. Though we

appreciate that to accept the Chinese demands in

full might smooth the way towards Grey's eventual

release, we consider, that in the light of the

/arguments