TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 27

CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 241 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

3

CHINESE HAVE PRESSED US TO DO SO, AND WITHOUT OUR HAVING ANY

SURANCE THAT AS A RESULT WE SHALL GAIN ACCESS TO GREY.

4. YOUR TELEGRAM 324, PARAGRAPH 1(A).

I SUGGEST WE NEED TO STRIKE A CAREFUL BALANCE ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH

WE REPRESENT OUR TERMS AS SPECIAL CONCESSIONS. I CONCEDE WE CANNOT

REPRESENT THEM AS BEING PERFECTLY NORMAL CESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE

ADDITIONAL CONCESSIONS NOW PROPOSED) AS THIS WOULD BE BOTH TOO

TRANSPARENT AND UNLIKELY TO SATISFY THEM. BUT TO MAKE OUT THAT THEY

WERE QUITE UNUSUAL CONCESSIONS WOULD BOTH HAND THEM A PROPAGANDA

VICTORY AND CUT THE GROUND CUT FROM UNDER MY FEET HERE, WHERE I

MUST DO MY BEST TO REPRESENT THEM AS NOT UNDULY ABNORMAL.

5. AS A CONCRETE PROPOSAL, I SUGGEST SUBSTITUTING FOR THE LAST

SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 1CA) AND FOR PARAGRAPH 1(B) OF YOUR TELEGRAM

324: 'IF THE NAMES OF THE JOURNALISTS AT PRESENT IN PRISON ARE

SUPLIED TO US, WE ARE PREPARED TO AGREE (PROVIDED THAT THE PRISONER

DOES NOT OBJECT) TO A SPECIAL VISIT TO EACH INDIVIDUALLY BY HIS

EMPLOYER AND ONE OTHER OFFICIAL OF THE NEWSPAPER EMPLOYING HIM

SEMICOLON OR ALTERNATIVELY ONE NCNA REPRESENTATIVE, IF THIS IS

PREFERRED'.

6. H.M. CHARGE WOULD I HOPE STRESS THAT THOSE IN QUESTION MUST BE

BONA FIDE JOURNALISTS, AND HE MIGHT THEN GO ON TO ENQUIRE THE

NUMBERS LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED. HE COULD THEN SUGGEST THAT AFTER

AGREEMENT ON THE NUMBERS IN PEKING THE NCNA IN HONG KONG SHOULD

COMMUNICATE TO THE POLITICAL ADVISER THE NAMES OF THE PRISONERS

AND THOSE PROPOSING TO VISIT THEM, IN ORDER THAT APPROXIMATE

TIMES OF VISITS AND OTHER DETAILS MIGHT BE COMMUNICATED TO NCNA.

7. FINALLY, I CAN ONLY REPEAT MY WARNING THAT ALL THESE CONCESSIONS

AND ARRANGEMENTS MAY RUN US INTO DANGEROUS REPURCUSSIONS HERE, BUT

I CANNOT OF COURSE SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT THEY WILL DO SO.

F. 0. PLEASE PASS PEKING 76.

SIK D. TRANCH

[REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED FOR DEPARTMENTAL DECISION]

ADVANCE COPIES SENT

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.O.

C.O.

F.E.D. H.K.D.

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CONFIDENTIAL