TNAG-0034-FCO40-70-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 83

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CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 530

26 APRIL 1968.

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ADDRESSED CO TELNO 530 OF 26TH APRIL RFI PEKING.

(524)

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5

YOUR TELEGRAM 703 : RELEASE OF DETAINEE.

WE DO NOT ENTIRELY SHARE YOUR FEARS ABOUT RELEASING THE MAN CONCERNED

AT KOWLOON. A BASIC POINT IN OUR PRESENTATION OF THE CASE WOULD BE

THAT CHOI WAS IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY FROM CONFRONTATION PRISONERS.

THERE WOULD THEREFORE SEEM NO NEED FOR US TO REGARD OURSELVES AS

BOUND BY THE PRECEDENT UNLESS WE WISHED TO BE.

2. WE ARE AT PRESENT IN AN IMPASSE OVER THE ''RELEASE TO CHINA'

OF CONFRONTATION PRISONERS AND THIS SEEMS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY

TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY WAY ROUND IT. IT DOES NOT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE

THAT THE CHINESE WOULD IN THE LONG RUN CONSIDER A COMPROMISE UNDER

WHICH PRISONERS WERE NOMINALLY RELEASED BY US IN HONG KONG #

BUT WERE BY MUTUAL ARRANGEMENT IMMEDIATELY PUT ON A TRAIN AND SENT,

THEORETICALLY VOLUNTARILY ACROSS THE FRONTIER. SUBJECT ALWAYS

TO THE PROVISO THAT THE CHINESE HONOURED THEIR SIDE OF A BARGAIN OF

THIS SORT, WE DO NOT THINK GREATER LEGAL OR POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES

NEED ARISE OVER RELEASE AT KOWLOON THAN RELEASE AT LO WU.

3. AS WE SAID IN PARA 4 OF OUR TELEGRAM 496 WE SHOULD NOT BE

UNDULY EMBARRASSED IF CHOI WERE TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG. HIS CASE

WOULD, THEREFORE, PROVIDE US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TESTING THE

GROUND TO SEE IF:

CA) THE CHINESE ARE INTERESTED IN THE IDEA OF NOMINAL RELEASE IN

HONG KONG, PRIOR TO RETURN TO CHINA, AND

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/ (B)