TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 112

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Tip like an HLiD 9/12

CYPHER/CAT

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TEL NO 968

SECRET

TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICECOYED „I

ECEIVED WITHOUT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION]

ADDRESSED CO TELNO 968 OF 8TH AUGUST RFI PEKIN

AUGUST

754

م تظهر لید

༢ མོན་

-SAUGO

izen ?/2

MY TELEGRAM 941 AND PEKING TELEGRAM 722 : CHUNG WAH AND VISĀS. WONG CHO-FAU DID NOT EXERCISE HIS RIGHT TO APPEAR BEFORE EXECUTIVE

COUNCIL ON 6TH AUGUST BUT A LETTER FROM HIM MAKING REPRESENTATIONS

COR IN FAUT ERELY PROTESTS AND DEMANDS) WAS ACCEPTED AND CONSIDERED.

PREVIOUS ADVICE THAT THE SCHOOL SE DEREGISTERED WAS FORMALLY CAND

STRONGLY) ENDORSED AFTER CONSIDERATION OF WONG'S REPRESENTATIONS.

IT WAS AGREED HOWEVER THAT ACTUAL NOTIFICATION OF DEREGISTRATION

BE DELAYED UNTIL THE LAST POSSIBLE DATE BEFORE CLOSURE ORDER

EXPIRED CI.E. UNTIL 13TH AUGUST) IN THE HOPE THAT SOME EXIT VISAS

MIGHT BE FORTHCOMING BEFORE THEN.

2.

IT IS POSSIBLE THEREFORE THAT WE ARE AT PRESENT WAITING TO

SEE WHAT THE CHINESE DO OVER VISAS AND THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE

WHAT WE FINALLY DECIDE OVER CHUNG WAH, A FACTOR IS THAT WHETHER

ISSUED

MORE VISAS ARE ISSUED OR NOT, I CANNOT EASILY CONTEMPLATE ANY

CHANGE IN THE CHUNG WAH DECISION: THE NEUTRAL AND RIGHT WING

PRESS HAS ALL COME OUT UNEQUIVOCALLY IN SUPPORT OF DEREGISTRATION,

AND IN THIS ARE UNDOUBTEDLY REFLECTING GENERAL PUBLIC OPINION. TO

RECONSIDER FOR ANY REASON WOULD HAVE A VERY BAD EFFECT. I PROPOSE

HOWEVER TO RELEASE TWO MORE DETAINEES AT MORE OR LESS THE SAME

TIME, AS A COUNTERVAILING GESTURE.

3. ON SUPPOSITION THEREFORE THAT THERE IS A RISK THE CHINESE MAY

BE WITHHOLDING VISAS PENDING FINAL NOTIFICATION OF CHUNG WAH

DECISION, AND INTEND TO CONTINUE TO WITHHOLD THEM IF IT IS

UNFAVOURABLE, I STRONGLY SUPPORT SUGGESTION IN PEKING TELEGRAM

722 THAT IF NO VISAS ARE ISSUED WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO THE

DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE SHOULD BE RE-ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY SO AS TO

GET PRESSURE ONTO THE CHINESE BEFORE 13TH AUGUST. THIS AT LEAST

HAS A CHANCE OF DISSUADING THE CHINESE FROM USING CHUNG WAH AS AN

EXCUSE FOR FURTHER PROCRASTINATION: WHILE AT THE SAME TIME

RISKING NOTHING IF THEY ARE NOT IN FACT CONTEMPLATING THIS.

SECRET

/FOREIGN

754

755

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