TNAG-0029-FCO40-65-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 103

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talks between the Political Adviser and H.C.N.A. about prison

visits for this purpose. He also suggests that these approaches

be coupled with harder publicity about the position of our

Kission and Mr. Grey.

6.

Sir D. Zopeon agress (řeking telegram No. 223) thet we

should follow up the incident along the lines proposed by the

Governor, but in view of the attitude of the Chinese as

evidenced in their protest of 8 Karoh he considers that our

approach should be confined in the first instance to the Bank

of China channel. He is doubtful about the wisdom of any

publicity at this stage.

ARGUMENT

7.

Deportation of left-wing prisoners to China, if successful,

might be an important way of meeting Chinese grievances in

Hong Kong and at the same time securing the release of Er. Grey.

We should certainly not lose the opportunity to emphasise to

the Chinese that this was a serious attempt to nake progress.

But we share Sir D. Hopson's doubts about taking simultaneous

action on a number of fronts. If we pursue the matter through

formal channels (1.e. in Peking and London) we can expect the

Chinese to take up the hard propaganða line shown in our most

recent formal exchanges with them • By handling the matter

informally through the Bank of China channel we make it possible

for the Chinese to consider the proposition without striking an

attitude. Moreover it would involve no commitment by either

wide at the initial stage. The China Xerchants Steam Navigation

Company is a less informad channel than the one proposed and

in any event proved unsatisfactory on a previous occasion.

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