TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 81

248

CONFIDENTIAL

R/CAT.A.

IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG.

TELEGRAM NO.246

9 FEBRUARY 1968 (F.& H.K.Dept.C.0.)

CONFIDENTIAL

(2408)

ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 246 OF 9 FEBRUARY

REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.

PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 114 PARA. 3: VISITS TO PRISONERS.

WE STILL HOPE THAT THE CHINESE REPLY TO THE REPRESENTATIONS REPORTED IN PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 112 WILL PROVIDE AN OPENING FOR SOME PROGRESS ON GREY, BUT WE MUST CLEARLY ALSO PREPARE ALTERNATIVE PLANS LEST THE CHINESE REPLY IS ENTIRELY NEGATIVE.

271

2. THE WAY IN WHICH HSUEH'S QUOTE DEMANDS UNQUOTE WERE PUT ON 28 JANUARY (PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 84) SUGGESTED THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT ALLOW ACCESS TO GREY IN RETURN FOR OFFICIAL N.C.N.A. VISITS TO THE TWO N.C.N.A. PRISONERS AND THE TWELVE QUOTE PATRIOTIC UNQUOTE JOURNALISTS. IF NO PROGRESS IS MADE OVER GREY SEPARATELY, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO RECONSIDER OUR EARLIER DECISION ABOUT VISITS.

3. WE SHOULD HAVE OF COURSE TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING RISKS INTO ACCOUNT: (A) THE CHINESE WERE BY NO MEANS EXPLICIT THAT VISITS TO THE N.C.N.A. AND QUOTE PATRIOTIC UNQUOTE JOURNALISTS ALONE WOULD BE MET BY ACCESS TO GREY. THEY COULD WELL ADD THEIR THIRD DEMAND (OFFICIAL VISITS TO OTHER PRISONERS) TO THE EQUATION. OFFICIAL VISITS ON THIS SCALE WOULD CLEARLY BE UNACCEPTABLE:

(B) SINCE CHINESE NEW YEAR IS NOW PAST, AND WITH IT THE BEST CHANCE OF A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN ABOUT VISITS TO PRISONERS, THE CHINESE MIGHT NO LONGER FIND SUCH AN OFFER ATTRACTIVE:

/(C)

LAST

REF

NCX)

REF.

291

299

CONFIDENTIAL