TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 83

CONFIDENTIAL

Cypher/Cat A

IMMEDIATE PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Telno 124

10 February 1968

297

CONFIDENTIAL

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 124 of 10 February Repeated for information to Hong Kong

285

Your telegram No. 150: Visas.

I hoped that as a result of my telegram No. 74 I would be authorized to inform Chinese that we had lifted our exit visa requirement; that we were granting entry visas for Bank of China and for NCNA; and that we would generally allow normal movement for Chinese officials back and forth. This was to be coupled with statement that we were acting on clear under- standing that Chinese would reciprocate and allow free movement for our officials. The intention was that we should act (as in November over lifting movement restrictions) and wait for the Chinese to follow suit.

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Your instructions in your telegram No. 132 required us to try to get Chinese concessions of free movement for our officials at a reduced price (i.e. without any immediate granting of NCNA entry visas). I was not authorized to inform them that we had lifted exit visa requirements and granted Bank of China visas there and then and was instructed that if Chinese said they would make no reciprocal concessions until we accepted all their demands, the whole question would have to be referred back to you (paragraph 3 of your telegram No. 132). We had therefore to ask the Chinese to repeat in new circumstances their assurance about reciprocal gestures. This was what I meant by references to prior assurances in paragraph 2 of my telegram No. 114.. I would certainly not expect any detailed assurances from the Chinese; the best we can get will probably be a restatement of Kao's remarks about corresponding gestures; and I am glad to have you confirm that we should be prepared to act on this basis. But we are no longer acting and waiting for the Chinese to follow as I recommended. By trying to whittle down the Chinese terms we have had to introduce this further complicating factor.

Foreign Office please pass Priority Hong Kong 75. Sir D. Hopson

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