TNAG-0029-FCO40-65-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 95

CYPHER/CAT.A

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMI ZATE

FOREIGN OFFICE то PEKING

TELNO. 283

22 MARCH 1968

(F)

391

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NO 283 OF 22 MARCH REPEATED FOR INFORM- ATION TO HONG KONG

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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 363 TO C.0.: PRISON VISITS.

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FROM THESE FURTHER EXCHANGES IT IS CLEAR THAT EITHER KNOWINGLY OR THROUGH MISUNDERSTANDING N.C.N.A. ARE GOING BEYOND THE TERMS ORIGINALLY AGREED IN PEKING. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, PLEASE THEREFORE APPROACH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AS SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 225, AND POINT OUT THAT THE N.C.N.A. APPEAR TO BE CALLING IN QUESTION MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE WHICH IT WAS AGREED SHOULD BE SETTLED IN PEKING. YOU SHOULD

RECALL YOUR EARLIER DISCUSSIONS (YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS. 84, 98, 152 AND 178) IN WHICH REPEATED AND SPECIFIC REFERENCES WERE MADE TO QUOTE PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE AND SAY THAT THE N.C.N.A. WERE NOW SEEKING TO EXTEND VISITS TO ALL QUOTE PATRIOTIC NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEES UNQUOTE. YOU MIGHT ADD THAT YOU HAD PARTICULARLY STRESSED (PARAGRAPH 4 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 152) THAT JOURNALISTS MUST BE BONE FIDE. THIS WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THERE COULD BE NO NEGOTIATION IN HONG KONG AND ON WHICH WE COULD NOT GIVE GROUND. WE THEREFORE HOPED THAT THE POSITION COULD BE MADE CLEAR TO N.C.N.A. IMMEDIATELY SO THAT DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG COULD PROCEED.

2.

YOU MIGHT ALSO REFER TO N.C.N.A. HAVING QUERIED THE NUMBER OF VISITORS TO EACH PRISONER. THIS WAS ALSO A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE ON WHICH OUR POSITION HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR (YOUR TELEGRAM NO.152) IF THE CHINESE SHOW NO STRONG DISPOSITION TO CONTEST THIS, YOU SHOULD SHOW NO WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE IF HOWEVER THE MATTER SEEMS LIKELY TO PROVE A STICKING POINT YOU MAY, SUBJECT TO CONFIRM- ATION BY THE GOVERNOR, INDICATE THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO ALLOW THREE VISITORS. THERE ARE ALREADY PRECEDENTS FOR THIS.

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