TNAG-0030-FCO40-66-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 35

CONFIDENTIAL

Cypher/Cat A

IMMEDIATE PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Telno. 334

22 April 1968

512

CONFIDENTIAL

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 334 of 22 April, Repeated for information to Hong Kong.

Grey.

Cradock was summoned to an interview with Miss Chang, Deputy Head of News Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon.

2. Miss Chang said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had agreed that 2 officials from British Office should visit Grey at his residence at 4 p.m. on Tuesday 23 April. The visit would last 20 minutes. The names of visiting officials should be transmitted to News Department by noon on 23 April.

The following rules would apply:

30

(a) Visitors must show their identification cards to the guards outside.

(b) Visitors must not bring clothes, food, books or other articles and must not exchange letters, documents or telegrams with Grey.

(c) They must not take photographs or tape recordings.

(a) They must use standard English.

(e) They must obey instructions given by Public Security Bureau staff who would be present.

;

Cradock argued for visit by three officials on the analogy of Hong Kong visits. Miss Chang merely repeated her instructions, adding that the question of a visit to Grey and Hong Kong visits was "not purely a question of reciprocity". On the question of length of visit, after some pressing, Miss Chang said that although time of visit had been laid down as 20 minutes "in the circum- stances at the time if British officials really needed an extension time could be lengthened with the agreement of working personnel present". Cradock in conclusion expressed strong dissatisfaction with the take it or leave it and restrictive nature of the Chinese arrangements, contrasting this with details of Hong Kong visits which had been settled by agreement after full preliminary dis- cussion.

که

573,575

/4. We have

CONFIDENTIAL