Er. Wilkinson
Private Secretary
CONFIDENTIAL
MR. ANTHONY GREY
715
16/4/1
PLAG
FLAG B
Mr. Gerald Long, the Managing Director of Reuters, has
written to the Secretary of State asking that consideration be given to an act of clemency under which Chinese Communist newspaper workers imprisoned in Hong Kong would be released
in the hope that this would secure the release of Mr. Grey
who has been under house arrest in Peking since July last year.
2.
Mr. Long discussed the case of Mr. Grey with Mr. Maitland
on 10 July. He indicated that he had heard rumours that the Chinese were willing to exchange Mr. Grey for the two N..N.A.
correspondent, Heueh Ping and Lo Yuk-Wo, and Reuters were
probing Chinese intuitions. He also alleged there were diffe- rences between the Hong Kong Government and the Foreign Office
about the possibility of releasing imprisoned Chinese newsmen. He was given a suitably careful reply and advised to await the
result of our approach on a further visit to Mr. Grey.
Clearly Reutere have found out nothing definite.
3. The question of the release of prisoners is a very
difficult one. So far the Governor of Hong Kong has been firm
../ in refusing ..
CONFIDENTIAL
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