Cypher/Cat.A
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY HONG KONG
ΤΟ
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno. 366
23 March 1968
394
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed Commonwealth Office telegram No. 366
of 23 March.
Repeated for information to Peking.
90
My telegram No. 363: Prison Visits.
It seems possible that there has been a genuine misunderstanding about which prisoners are eligible for
visits. Much depends on how the phrase "bona fide journalists" was translated in Peking.
2.
A second contention of the NCNA representatives here is that nothing was actually "agreed" in Peking except the principle of "special visits" to "patriotic newspaper employees": They therefore maintain that they are on firm ground in asking e.g. that the number of visitors should be four.
3.
In fact there are not now great differences between the two sides (except on the question of Mao's thoughts).
If there seemed some prospect of satisfactorily settling the point about eligibility for visits we should be prepared to consider allowing at any rate three visitors.
4. We should be grateful for Peking's comments on points in paragraphs 1 and 2: and for views on whether in present circumstances it would be worthwhile going back to the M.F.A.
(386) on the lines proposed in paragraph 2 of Peking telegram No.225.
Foreign Office pass Priority Peking 127.
Sir D. Trench
[Repetition to Peking referred for Departmental
decision]
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