583
CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat A
PRIORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Tel 558
13 June 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 558 of 13 June. Repeated for information to Hong Kong.
5759576
In the light of the latest interview on visas (my telegrams Nos. 526 and 527) I think the time has come for us to bring
diplomatic pressure on the Chinese on the question of the detention of members of this mission and also to arrange for a limited amount of publicity on the same subject.
2.
As regards diplomatic pressure, my main grounds for this recommendation are as follows:
3.
+
(a) Although we have had a strong case on detention since last August, until April we have been to some degree inhibited by the fact that we ourselves applied certain controls on the movements of the Chinese officials to and from Britain. However our own slate has been clean since 13 April when I informed Lo Kuei-po of the granting of out- standing entry visas and the lifting of exit visa
» requirements.
(b)
Though the situation on visas is still blurred and a trickle of exit visas may continue the Chinese so far have granted no exit visas to senior staff (except for the First Secretaries Blishen and Whitney which were both requested on medical grounds) despite repeated applications since April, e.g. in the case of Peters.
(c) In any event in the interview of 4 June the Chinese apparently went back on assurances of normal treatment given on 13 April and 22 April. They implied that political pressure over Hong Kong would continue to affect the granting of visas until Chinese obtain some kind of satisfaction in the settlement of the Hong Kong problem. If we remain inactive we condone this treatment which outrages all diplomatic practice and encourages the Chinese in their present course.
(a) In the interview of 4 June with Consular Department and previously the Chinese have shown themselves sensitive to suggestions of detention of diplomats. The Chinese are at present trying to reconstruct the image of correct diplomatic behaviour upset by the cultural revolution and are being very correct with other Western Missions, of course the Africans and Asians, Various official visits here by Foreign Ministers and Heads of State, have taken place or are impending. The Chinese may also hope for diplomatic relations with Canada and perhaps even Japan. They would not enjoy attention being drawn to their treatment of this mission.
(e) Although Hong Kong is not an issue likely to engage support of e.g. Afro-Asian Governments, provided representations are confined to narrow points interference with movement of diplomats and infringement of diplomatic standards, we should have an issue in which all countries represented here will have considerable self interest.
There are possible drawbacks to this course which we should take into account:
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585,589,1590,
CONFIDENTIAL
To
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HWA 3/1
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