TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 73

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1386

TO

: HONG KONG 13 AUGUST 1968. (FED)

13

CONFIDENTIAL.

ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 1385 OF 13 AUGUST

723) FEPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.

956

170)

YOUR TELEGRAM 988.: POLICY TOWARDS CHINA. YOUR PARAGRAPH 2. AT THE TIME WE PUT THE SUGGESTIONS IN OUR TELEGRAM 1362 WE STILL HOPED THAT THE GRANT OF A VISA TO HOPSON WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED OR RAPIDLY FOLLOWED BY THE GRANT OF MOST OF THE OTHER OUTSTANDING VISA APPLICATIONS: AND THAT SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, THERE WOULD THUS BE AN EARLY OCCASION FOR A SUBSTANTIAL MATCHING GESTURE FROM OUR SIDE IN THE MATTER OF DETAINEES. THIS WAS THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE PHRASING IN F.0. TELEGRAM 785 TO PEKING. WE REGRET THAT COMPRESSION MADE IT MISLEADING.

#

2. FROM THE INTERVIEWS REPORTED IN PEKING TELEGRAMS 739 AND 742, 778 IT WOULD NOW APPEAR THAT THE CHINESE IN THEIR PERVERSITY MAY WELL

ISSUE THE OTHER OUTSTANDING VISAS AT INTERVALS AND OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD. AT WORST, IT MAY BE THAT BEFORE THE LAST OF THE VISA APPLICATIONS AT PRESENT CUTSTANDING HAS BEEN GRANTED, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE STAFF MAY BE DUE TO LEAVE CHINA. THUS, EVEN THOUGH THE MOVEMENT OF STAFF MAY HAVE REVERTED TO WHAT BY CHINESE STANDARDS WE MUST HENCEFORTH REGARD AS NORMAL, THERE MAY BE NO POINT AT WHICH

AL REPEAT ALL OUTSTANDING EXIT VISA APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN GRANTED. 3. ACCORDINGLY IF WE TAKE THE LINE THAT THE RELEASE OF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF DETAINEES IS JUSTIFIED ONLY WHEN ALL EXIT VISAS HAVE BEEN GRANTED, WE MIGHT NEVER HAVE PRECISELY THE OCCASION.

#SOFAR HOWEVER AS WE SEE THE GRANT OF AN EXIT VISA TO HOPSON HIMSELF AS AN IMPORTANT STEP ON THE PART OF THE CHINESE TOWARDS FULFILLING HEIR UNDERTAKING TO ALLOW ALL MEMBERS OF THE STAFF WISHING TO LEAVE CHINA TO DO SO, WE WOULD STILL SEE ADVANTAGE IN MATCHING IT ON OUR SIDE BY THE RELEASE OF SOME DETAINEES. YOU MAY HOWEVER CARE TO 'DISCUSS THIS WHOLE PROBLEM WITH HOPSON ON HIS ARRIVAL.

CROSEC

*FILES

F.0.

F.E.D.

P.U.S.D.

SIR D.

ALLEN

C.0.

DSAO

VED IN DIN

LAST

ReF

ARCIVES M

AL $1968

A f

H.K.D.

SIR A. GALSWORTHY

FÅRSONNEL DEPT.

SIK C. CROWE

CONFIDENTIAL

нипор

769773 775 782

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