TNAG-0033-FCO40-69-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 24

CONFIDENTIAL

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BEHAVIOUR. THERE ARE THEREFORE LIMITS TO WHICH THEIR INTEREST CAN BE ENGAGED. INTEREST COULD ALWAYS BE GREATLY STIMULATED IF WE TOOK RETALIATORY ACTION: BUT WE ARE ALL AGREED THIS WOULD BE WRONG,

4. AS REGARDS THE FOREIGN PRESS WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO PLACE PILS IN NEWSPAPERS BOTH IN EUROPE AND IN AFRO ASIAN COUNTRIES. BUT FOREIGN READERS ARE NOT GREATLY INTERESTED IN THE DIFFICULTIES OF BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA. AS WE FOUND WHEN THE QUESTION OF PUBLICITY FOR THE BRITISH MISSION WAS EXAMINED LAST YEAR THERE ARE SERIOUS DIFF-

ICULTIES IN GETTING MATERIAL ACCEPTED IN THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED PRESS OF SUCH COUNTRIES AS PAKISTAN, CAMBODIA, NEPAL AND TANZANIA (WHERE THE CHINESE PROBABLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN CULTIVATING GOOD RELATIONS). OPPORTUNITIES ARE RATHER BETTER IN CEYLON, KENYA AND

ZAMBIA AND WE SHALL CERTAINLY KEEP UP OUR EFFORTS. AS YOU POINTED

OUT, APART FROM CHARGES OF HOSTAGE-TAKING ETC CHINESE ARE ALSO VULNERABLE TO CHARGES OF COMMERCIAL SHARP PRACTICE, THE

DIFFICULTY HERE IS THAT THE INFORMATION USUALLY DERIVES FROM SOURCES

WHICH CANNOT BE COMPROMISED. BUT WE SHALL EXPLORE POSSIBILITES

FURTHER

5. AS YOU HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE

LAUNCHING ANY GENERAL PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN THE ATTITUDE OF THE

EMPLOYERS, RELATIVES AND OTHERS CONCERNED. THE GROUP OF DETAINED

PERSONS IS FAR FROM HOMOGENEOUS, REACTIONS TOWARDS THEM WILL NOT

BE UNIFORM NOR WILL OUR CHANCE OF INFLUENCING THE CHINESE BE THE

SAME IN EACH CASE. WE ARE HOWEVER REVIEWING THE WHOLE QUESTION,

IN PARTICULAR THE CASE OF BARRYMAINE WHO HAS RECEIVED PROBABLY LESS

ATTENTION THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS. YOU MAY BE ASSURED THAT IN NO CASE

WILL WE LOSE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLICITY IF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

PERMIT IT.

SOSFA

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.O. F.E.D.

S.E.A.D.

NEWS DEPARTMENT

I.P.D.

I.A.D.

I.R.D.

C.O. H.K. DEPARTMENT

F.E. & P.D.

D.S.A.O. PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

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CONFIDENTIAL