TNAG-0030-FCO40-66-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

FOREIGN OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 338 TO PEKING

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ON THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. HE HAD TAKEN PHOTOGRAPHS IN PROHIBITED AREAS, GRAVELY ENDANGERING SECURITY AND UNDERMINING SOCIALIST CONSTRUCTION. HE HAD CONFESSED HIS CRIMES AND THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN LANCHOW HAD PUBLISHED INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE.

HE HAD NOW TO SERVE HIS SENTENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHINESE LAW. IT WOULD BE QUOTE INAPPROPRIATE UNQUOTE TO MAKE A REQUEST TO SEE HIM IN VIEW OF HIS GRAVE CRIMES. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WERE ALREADY FULLY AWARE OF THE POSITION. RECENTLY A QUOTE BIG FUSS UNQUOTE HAD BEEN MADE IN THE BRITISH PRESS AND IN PARLIAMENT ABOUT WATT AND THE ALLEGED DETENTION OF OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS. THE AIM WAS TO STIR UP ANTI CHINESE FEELING AND THREATENING LANGUAGE HAD BEEN USED. THIS COULD ONLY WORSEN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. FLATLY REJECTED OUR PROTEST.

8.

SHEN PING

AS REGARDS GREY, WE WERE FULLY AWARE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD QUOTE RESTRICTED HIS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT UNQUOTE ONLY AFTER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY AND OTHER QUOTE PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN HONG KONG. N.C.N.A. IN HONG KONG HAD APPLIED TO ARRANGE VISITS TO THEIR COLLEAGUES AND OTHER JOURNALISTS IN PRISON. AS THE CHINESE HAD ALREADY MADE CLEAR, IF THESE WERE SATISFACTORILY ARRANGED THEY WOULD CONSIDER ALLOWING A MEMBER OF OUR MISSION IN PEKING TO SEE GREY.

9. THE COMPLAINT ABOUT FAILURE TO GRANT EXIT VISAS FOR OUR MISSION AND FOR BANKERS IN SHANGHAI WAS UNJUSTIFIED. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GRAVE DETERIORATION IN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WAS DUE TO HONG KONG WHERE THE AUTHORITIES HAD NOT YET COMPLETELY STOPPED THE SUPPRESSION AND PERSECUTION OF CHINESE RESIDENTS, LARGE NUMBERS OF WHOM WERE STILL IN PRISON. OTHERS WHO HAD SUFFERED LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY HAD NOT BEEN COMPENSATED NOR HAD THEIR CASES BEEN PROPERLY DEALT WITH. CHINESE COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG HAD THE RIGHT TO STUDY AND SPREAD THE THOUGHTS OF MAO TSE-TUNG AND TO CARRY ON OTHER PATRIOTIC ACTIVITIES.

CONFIDENTIAL

/THEIR