CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat A
IMMEDIATE
Tho 239
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
26 March 1968
999
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 239 of 25 March. Repeated for information to Hong Kong.
391
Your telegram No. 283: Prison Visits.
I saw Hsueh Deputy Director of Western Europe this afternoon and spoke on the lines suggested.
were
2. Hsueh replied NCNA's request to Political Adviser for visits to 21 prisoners was reasonable because Chinese side had repeatedly made clear that they were talking about NCNA correspondents (Gel Che) and other patriotic "journalists" (he used term Hsin Wen Kung Tso Che, which means literally "news workers"). The 21 men in question all included in this category, Therefore Hong Kong authorities should meet Chinese request. On the number of visitors Hsueh said that it was reasonable for NCNA to ask for more than two visitors per prisoner because even on regular prison visits a prisoner was allowed three visitors at a time so why should it be fewer than three in the case of special visits? The Hong Kong authorities should also accept Chinese request on this point.
3. I replied, so far as prisoners to be visited was concerned it was not for us a question of numbers but a question of category. It might be that for reasons of translation there had been a genuine misunderstanding. We had spoken of "journalists". The Chinese had evidently been using a term of wider definition. On this, and on Chinese request for three visitors per prisoner, I undertook to report to you what Hsueh had said.
4. Hsueh repeated the view that such questions as number of visitors per prisoner were better discussed in Hong Kong but added that it was a matter of principle for Chinese that number be no less than three.
See my immediately following telegram.
Foreign Office pass Immediate to Hong Kong No. 166.
Sir D. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
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1.EX1
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CONFIDENTIAL
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