TNAG-0029-FCO40-65-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 100

Mr. Wilkinson

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PROBLEM

DEPORTATION OF FIEK STARS FROM HONG KONG

PIZ

The two film stars whom the Government of Hong Kong tried

to deport to China as a test omne returned to Hong Kong on

15 March having spent 31 hours on the border bridge. The

Chinese made a serious protest to the Chargé d'Affaires in

Peking on the same day against the attempted deportation and

demanded that the two persons should be declared innocent and

set free (Peking telegram No. 207). Sir D. Hopson, in rejecting

the protest, pointed out that the Hong Kong Government saw their

action as a means of making progress and relieving tension and

not raising it as the Chinese had done by exploiting the

incident. The Governor of Hong Kong has proposed (Hong Kong

telegram Ko. 344) that we should pursue this line with the

Chinese through various channels simultaneously in order to

emphasise that we consideŸ such deportations as a useful way

of solving our mutual problems. Sir D. Hopson has advised

(Peking telegram No. 223) that initially at any rate we should

pursue this through one informal channel only.

RECOMENDAT IN

2. I recommend that we should pursue the Governor's proposal

in the manner favoured by Sir D. Hopson. We should not,

however, include in our approach any reference to the talks

now going on in Hong Kong with the New China News Agency

/(N.C.H.A.)

CONFIDENTIAL