pher/Cat A
IMMEDIATE PEKING
TO
Telno 122
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FOREIGN OFFICE
9 February 1968
245
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 122 of 9 February, repeated for information to Hong Kong.
(286)
Kong:
(294)
My telegram No. 103 to you and your telegram No. 231 to Hong Prisoners.
Having now seen and acted on instructions in your telegram No. 132 I confirm my view in paragraph 3 of my telegram under reference that we should wait before trying to carry out deportation of film stars.
2.
There is no point in having an immediate test case when we have now put a direct question to the Chinese about an exchange for Grey. If they are ready to play we may be sure there will be no major difficulty over transfer at the border.
3. Moreover, we are now engaged in a delicate negotiation with the Chinese. To introduce a new element at this stage at Hong Kong end would further complicate what is already a fairly complicated transaction. At the best it would probably delay the Chinese
response.
49
I therefore strongly recommend that we should delay attempt at actual deportation (or action to inform the Chinese of our intention to deport) at least until we know the Chinese answer to our approach here of 7 February.
Sir D. Hops on
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