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H.K.
F.E.
CONFIDENTINE
Dept.
756
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1362
CONFIDENTIAL.
TO HONG KONG
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES Nɔ. 63.
8 AUGUST 1968.
(12 AUG1960
HUD 3/2
(285) 739
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 1362 OF 8 AUGUST
REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 698: BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS CHINA.
>
AS WE VIEW THE SITUATION FROM HERE, AND SUBJECT OF COURSE TO YOUR VIEWS AS REGARDS THE KONG KONG END, WE SEE FORCE IN SIR D. HOPSON'S
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF THE RELEASE OF A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
DETAINEES AS '' AN ACT OF DEESCALATION ** PROVIDED THE CHINESE
IMPLEMENT IN FULL THEIR UNDERTAKING TO GRANT ALL OUTSTANDING VISAS
FOR THE MISSION. YOU HAVE ALREADY INDICATED BROAD AGREEMENT WITH THE STUDY ON DETAINEES (YOUR TELEGRAM 802) WHICH RECOMMENDED THAT (59) CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO THE UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE WITHIN THE COLONY OF A SMALL GROUP OF THE LESS IMPORTANT COMMUNISTS AND - DEPENDING ON COMMUNIST AND PUBLIC REACTION - TO A PHASED RELEASE PROGRAMME BASED ON THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF RELEASING, FIRST, THOSE WHO ARE LESS IMPORTANT AND HAVE BEEN DETAINED THE LONGEST. COMMUNIST REACTIONS TO THE FIRST FOUR RELEASES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MINIMAL AND SATISFACTORY FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW. WE SEE ADVANTAGE THEREFORE IN MAKING FURTHER RELEASES AS HOPSON PROPOSES. THE CHINESE LEADERS NO DOUBT REGARD THIS LATEST SHIFT ON VISAS IN PEKING AS A CONTRIBUTION ON THEIR PART TO REESTABLISHING A MODUS VIVENDI WITH US, AND EXPECT RECOGNITION OF THIS ON OUR PART. IF THEY DO FULFIL THEIR UNDERTAKING ON VISAS, IT MAY WELL SIGNAL THE BEGINNING OF AN IMPROVE→ MENT IN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WHICH WE WOULD NATURALLY WISH TO ENCOURAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND WHICH WE COULD REASONABLY EXPECT TO BE REFLECTED IN THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONG KONG. SPEEDING-UP OF RELEASES COULD THEREFORE REASONABLY BE PRESENTED NOT AS A CONCESSION TO CHINESE PRESSURE, BUT AS AN ACTIVE CONTRI- BUTION ON OUR PART TO A RETURN TO SOME DEGREE OF NORMALITY IN OUR RELATIONS. WE AGREE THAT THE RELEASES WOULD NOT NECESSARILY YIELD DIRECT RESULTS: BUT THEY WOULD IN OUR JUDGEMENT IMPROVE THE ATMOSPHERE OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, AND SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT SHOULD YIELD SOME DIVIDEND IN HONG KONG.
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WE HAVE
CONFIDENTI AL
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