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

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG

407

407

NO 558

27 MARCH, 1968 (F)

399)

(394)

CONFIDENTIAL.

ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 558 OF 27 MARCH REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.

400PEKING TELEGRAMS NOS. 239 AND 240: PRISON VISITS.

SINCE THERE DOES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN GENUINE MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT EXACT MEANING OF QUOTE JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE (THE POSSIBILITY OF WHICH YOU NOTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 366), WE THINK THAT, UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, TALKS WITH N.C.N.A. MIGHT PROCEED ON THE BASIS THAT THEIR LIST OF 21 PRISONERS IS ACCEPTED. THIS MIGHT

BE FOLLOWED AFTER SUITABLE SHOW OF HESITATION BY COMPROMISE ON

THREE VISITORS TO EACH PRISONER.

2. WE ARE NEVERTHELESS ANXIOUS NOT TO COMPROMISE ON POINT THAT CATEGORY OF PRISONERS ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL VISITS IS A MATTER OF

PRINCIPLE TO BE DECIDED IN PEKING. SUBJECT TO YOUR AND HOP SON'S VIEWS, WE SUGGEST THEREFORE THAT, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH (IF NOT PRIOR TO RESUMPTION OF YOUR TALKS WITH N.C.N.A., HOP SON SHOULD INFORM CHINESE OF DECISION TO ACCEPT THEIR INTERPRETATION ON THIS

POINT, REPRESENTING IT ON LINES INDICATED IN PARAGRAPH 2(D) OF PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 240.

CROSEC

(400

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.0.

LAST

F.E.D.

P.C.D.

CONSULAR DEPT.

REA

400

RCA1

J.I.R.D.

NEWS DEPT.

D. D. & P.U.S.D.

REF.

Call

C.O.

O.L.A.

H.K.D.

NEWS DEPT.

CONFIDENTIAL