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release of Mr. Grey when 13 "patriotic" journalists remained
in detention in Hong Kong. (But as our informal contact in
Hong Kong has suggested, this may have been done without
Peking's authority.) The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
when Mr. Cradock saw them on 9 December, refused to be drawn
into giving an explanation of Mr. Grey's continued detention
or into suggesting a price; there was, however, reference to
further arrests after the detention of Mr. Grey. The informal
contact in Hong Kong on 3 December claimed to have seen a
report to Peking prepared by the local N.C.N.A. in which it
was confidently argued that it would not be difficult to
press the Hong Kong
Government into making concessions
especially over Mr. Grey. On 10 December, however, he told us
that the Chinese authorities were still contemplating Mr. Grey's
release but because of the present publicity it might take
some time; he suggested that they might remove the restraints
on Mr. Grey by stages. This sounds plausible enough. But
on the other hand he may now have realised that his earlier
optimistic assurances were ill-founded, and be covering up.
6.
a)
My tentative conclusions about Chinese intentions are these:-
The Peking authorities are indeed upset and embarrassed
by the publicity. But whether or not they have already
taken a decision of principle to release Mr. Grey, they
are unlikely to do so for the time being, lest this
appear too direct a capitulation to the pressures of
publicity.
/ b)
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