TNAG-0110-FCO40-146-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 107

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e)

of the 13 news workers or other convicted prisoners

particularly if the Chinese had indicated publicly that

such a price would certainly achieve the release of Mr. Grey.

But it would be premature to consider paying this price

until we have seen the results of continued firmness on

our part.

Admittedly, if we had finally to pay a price for Mr. Grey

in terms of convicted prisoners, it might be more

humiliating to be forced into it by a further period of

Chinese intransigeance than to pay it now. But this is

a risk which should be accepted.

ARGUMENT

Chinese Intentions

3. When we last reviewed the problem with the Governor in

October we had the advice of our informal contact in Hong Kong

that the Chinese would be releasing Mr. Grey in the fairly near

future. We decided that we should be prepared to give them

some three or four weeks from the time of the release of Hsueh

P'ing on 16 November in which to react. We had, however,

indications that the terms of the release of Mr. Grey were a

matter of contention between the local communists in Hong Kong

and the Peking authorities.

4. In the meantime we have had the complications of the

visit to Mr. Grey and the attendant publicity. Why the

Chinese took the initiative in allowing us a visit at that

particular time remains obscure it hardly accords with the

/thesis

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