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(e) I strongly recommend against retaliatory action agai the Chinese officials in London e.g. restriction of movement or expulsion of NCNA. We would certainly come off worse in ap straightforward contest and chances of getting access to Gr would be lost.
To sum up I think our policy should now be twofold:
(a) To explore what gestures whether practical or verbal we can safely make at present depends on the Chinese requirement for a face-saving formula on Hong Kong and would in any event reduce the area of uncertainty about their intentions. This should be coupled with firmness on all really vital points for Hong Kong.
(b) When we have decided what we are going to do on (a) we should with due regard to timing, which will be very important, begin to bring diplomatic and perhaps eventual publicity pressure on the Chinese over our detention.
Foreign Office pass Priority Hong Kong 122, Washington 50, POLAD Singapore 63.
Sir D. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
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