TNAG-0033-FCO40-69-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 21

Cypher/Cat A

872

CONFIDENTIAL

ORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Telno 938 10 October, 1968

DEDIP

CONFIDENTIAL

Personal for James Murray.

Your telegram No. 865.

864

756)

2.

Thank you for your comments.

I am not sure how to reconcile the first and third sentences of your paragraph 1 and relevant sections of your telegram No. 1362 to Hong Kong, If you agree that release of detainees is an important factor in easing Sino-British relations it follows that it will influence the Chinese moves on British subjects. Whether release of detainees will be considered by the Chinese as "an appropriate quid pro quo for any significant move on British subjects" I would not like to say. Since there is unlikely to be any explicit bargaining the situation will probably not arise. The pattern I envisage is a steady de-escalation on our side by increasing releases coinciding with de-escalation on theirs by better treatment of British subjects which might involve visas or deportations. In this process it will be hard to pick out any single move as a quid pro quo. I agree we are unlikely to get Grey out merely by releasing detainees but they will certainly assist his chances and will be of great and possibly decisive help for other British subjects in trouble.

3. I hope I have your agreement to this extent, and that final .sentence of your paragraph 1 does not mean that you draw a distinction between treatment for this mission (which might be influenced or rewarded by release of detainees) and treatment for other British subjects (which would not). You will recall that paragraph 2 of your telegram No. 1362 said "Doubt very much whether it (sc. release of detainees) would directly influence their attituds toward other British subjects either".

I should be grateful for early clarification of this point. It is very important that we should continue with releases of detainees in an effort to extend their beneficial effect from the Mission to other British subjects. One of the points at issue with the Governor at the moment is that he apparently considers there should be no releases to respond to better tres tment of non- diplomatic British subjects. (Hong Kong telegram No. 2015, paragraph 6).

834

56 I realise that in asking question on security in Hong Kong I have been inviting criticism for trespass. This was done deliberately in the knowledge that otherwise it would be impossible to get beyond the barrier of "security reasons"

" and open a genuine discussion on detainees. I am glad to see from your paragraph 4 that some good may have come of this.

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/6. I should