TNAG-0112-FCO40-148-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 37

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should not be read into the tone of the discussion since

Kr. T'ang gave nothing away on matters of substance.

Even his admission that China was interested in improving

Sino-British relations was not offered voluntarily but

#queezed out of him by Mr. Cradook. Nevertheless it is

encouraging to hear Mr. T'ang admitting, at least by

implication, that progress towards normal relations depends

upon acts of mutual de-escalation, e.g. the release of

Mr. Cradook perhaps is stretching the argument somewhat

when he concludes that further progress, not only in

Mr. Grey's case but in other cases also, hinges on the

release of the eleven newsworkers in Hong Kong. The release

and the confàrmation by the Chinese Mission

of

his wife and

in London of the detention of

son, suggest that the Chinese are prepared to move, however

slightly, on other cases in the absence of any concessions

from us on the eleven newsworkers. It is also worth noting

that the Chinese Mission in their discussion with

insisted that the detention of

was for

investigations into violations of Chinese law and was not

linked with the events in Hong Kong. This would suggest

that the Chinese intend to treat the other cases on their

individual merits.

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Argument