TNAG-0031-FCO40-67-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 123

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China (Detained

[MR. RODGERS.]

13 JUNE 1968

Although the restrictions on move- ments both in London and Peking were later modified, the Chinese continued, with very few exceptions, to make diffi. culties over the departure of our staff from Peking. May I take this oppor- tunity I am sure it is the wish of the House I should do so-to pay a special tribute to our people in Hong Kong. We

are aware of the harshness of their ex- perience and know that they have they have throughout behaved admirably under the most trying circumstances.

Since 5th April of this year, however, when I informed the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires in London of the final lifting of all the restrictions placed on his staff, The things have been a little better. Chinese have given exit visas from Peking for six junior members of the British staff, and have given a number of entry visas for other staff to go to Peking. One member of the senior staff has also been informed that he may leave. Neverthe- less, we continue to regard the situation, as surely we must, as far from satisfac- tory. I have told the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires that we expect full reciprocity in the lifting of restrictions and the rapid issue of outstanding visas for our staff to leave China.

I have said this about the position of our Mission both because I think it is of interest to the House and as a back- ground to the rest of the story. I now turn specifically to those who have been detained-or we believe to have been detained-in custody.

First, there is Mr. Anthony Grey, the Reuter's correspondent in Peking. Even before our Mission was attacked he was called, on 21st July, to the Foreign Ministry, and then put under house arrest. He has remained there since and as the hon. Member for Richmond said, had no contact with the outside world until the 23rd April of this year, when Sir Donald Hopson and another member of the Mission were allowed to visit him. It is not for me to speak for Reuter's, but I think it is only fair to say that they have kept in the closest touch with us, and I know that they are deeply con- cerned about the plight of this unfortun- ate young man, wholly innocent as of course he is.

Then there is a group of British sub- jects who have been detained in the

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British Subjects)

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period since February, but about whom we have received no information con- These are Mr. cerning charges, if any. Norman Barrymaine, a journalist, Mr. D. V. Jones, Mr. P. D. Crouch and Captain Pope.

There is a third distinct group about whom we also know little. They include Mr. Eric Gordon and his family, Mrs. Epstein, Mr. Michael Shapiro and Mr. David Crook and his family, whom I have already mentioned. All these havč been employed at one time or another by the Chinese authorities. The majority of them lived together in the Friendship Hostel and had little contact with our Mission. In fact there were reports last year that some of them had demonstrated outside it shortly before it was destroyed.

I have left to the end and put in a separate category Mr. George Watt, about whom the hon. Member for Belfast, East has been principally concerned tonight. The facts as far as we know them have been described. Mr. Watt, an engineer employed by Vickers-Zimmer, was de- tained in Lanchow on 26th September of last year, and we are told that on 15th March he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for alleged spying. There has been no contact with him since his arrest, and the Chinese authorities have refused to allow Consular access, saying that this was not "appropriate in his

case.

Q

We have made frequent representations on behalf of all these British subjects. As I explained to the House in the debate on the Consular Relations Bill on 28th March, we have in the past generally found it better to communicate with the Chinese authorities through our Mission in Peking, despite the difficulties with which it has had to contend. Represen- tations have been made on behalf of one or all of the British subjècts detained on a great many separate occasions. For ex- ample, in the period since 1st March alone, our Mission has made at least 20 formal approaches to the Chinese authori- ties, and has followed these up with numerous reminders by telephone.

I have also thought it right to see the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires in London. I first saw him on 21st July last year, the date of Mr. Grey's detention, about the detention of Mr. Grey. This meeting ended on a stormy note due to the total unwillingness of the Chargé to accept the