TNAG-0034-FCO40-70-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 39

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4.

Because of matters such as the above, Jay said that

In recently he had been required to speak often to LI. general discussion last Wednesday (18th September) LI had said that he was pleased to note that matters were proceeding well and that relations with Britain and Hong Kong seemed to be

Jay, in agreeing, improving along the lines required by Peking. took the opportunity of saying that all the problems of last year seemed to have been solved - except that of Anthony Grey, the Reuters correspondent. He wondered whether Peking intended any action about Grey. LI gave it as his opinion that probably Grey also would be released in the near future as it was clear that he was something of an embarrassment to Peking. Jay went on to ask whether Peking had ever thought of asking for an exchange for Grey. LI thought this over but could come up with

Then Jay, acting out a nobody Peking would want in exchange. "charade" as he called it, said well, how about somebody from the newspaper world: Grey is a newspaper correspondent; perhaps, say, Peking would like to have somebody like HSUEH Ping, the NCNA man. LI thought this highly unlikely as HSUEH was of no value, indeed a very low-grade employee. On thinking the matter over further, LI said that he had heard from the NCNA that the British were very keen to get Grey out of China.

5.

The conversation then began to lag and so Jay passed to LI my message concerning the proposed repairs and maintenance

In noting to the Man Kam To Bridge sometime in the future. this, LI wondered why this message was passed to Jay on his channel and commented that messages about small matters like this concerning the Border were normally passed on the Political Adviser/NCNA net. Then, as an aside, LI said that in a way it was strange that a senior official such as the Political Adviser should bother to deal directly with such a low-grade officer as TAM of the NCNA; this was particularly odd, he thought, when senior people such as himself and Jay were expected to deal with

(In an aside to me, a non-Government servant such as Cater. Jay said that he played along with LI on this point although he,

no doubt in an of course, understood the "true situation"

I, for

attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers I might have: my part, explained that the P.A., Mr. Elliott, only came into the picture in the Spring because the Assistant P.A., Emrys Davies, who had been dealing with the visit to prisoners question, was about to leave the Colony on reassignment and accordingly there was need for continuity pending the appoint- ment and arrival of a new A.P.A. Only once since June had the P.A.'s office contacted the NCNA and this was over the problem in Deep Bay.) I then explained that my mention of the repairs to the Man Kam To Bridge was a forewarning only and that later, nearer the time when the repairs were to be carried out, I would again be mentioning the matter to Jay and probably the information would also be passed on another local channel. Jay said that LI thought this question of the Man Kam To Bridge a little suspicious and wondered whether the Hong Kong Govern- He reminded Jay of the ment was up to some "funny business". Peking warning that Jay was under SB surveillance, and Jay took the opportunity (the first he says he had had since our meeting some time ago on the subject) to say that he had had enquiries made about this and had been given an assurance by somebody "in high authority" that the Peking report was nonsense.

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/contd.

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