تا
WORDS.
CONFIDENTIAL
2
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY RELEASED VIRTUALLY "ALL THE DETAINEES, AND REMISSION FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR HAD SO FAR BEEN GIVEN TO ALL CONVICTED PRISONERS, WHO WERE BEING STEADILY RELEASED. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ACTION ON THE CHINESE SIDE TO SOLVE OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS. I DID NOT WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS, BUT POSITION OF BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA WAS A CASE IN POINT. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION ON THE CHINESE SIDE WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SPEED UP PROCESS OF CLEARING AWAY
THE PROBLEMS.
14.
>
T'ANG SAID THAT MY REMARKS ON ALL OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN DETAINED IN HONG KONG WERE GROUNDLESS AS CHINESE PATRIOTS THERE HAD COMMITTED NO CRIMES. HE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THERE
WERE STILL ELEVEN JOURNALISTS IN GAOL IN HONG KONG. IF THE BRITISH WERE SINCERE IN THEIR DESIRE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, THESE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED EARLIER. AS TO BRITISH SUBJECTS, SOME HAD COMMITTED CRIMES AND COULD NOT BE COMPARED WITH THE CHINESE
COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG. THEREFORE, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPROVING RELATIONS LAY WITH THE BRITISH SIDE. THE CHINESE AWAITED THE BRITISH ACTIONS. HE WENT ON TO POINT OUT THAT CROZIERS IN
SHANGHAI HAD RECENTLY BEEN PERMITTED TO LEAVE. THE CHINESE HAD MADE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS. THEY NOW WANTED TO SEE WHAT
THE BRITISH WOULD DO. THIS WOULD BE A TEST OF BRITISH SINCERITY.
5.
I EXPRESSED SATISFACTION AT GRANTING OF EXIT VISAS TO
AND SAID I HOPED THIS TREND WOULD CONTINUE. T'ANG
REPEATED THAT CHINESE WERE AWAITING BRITISH ACTIONS. I SAID THAT
THERE HAD BEEN ACTS AS WELL AS WORDS ON OUR SIDE. THE QUESTION OF WHO HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM, WHAT WAS NEEDED WAS
MUTUAL EXERTIONS TO SOLVE IT.
6.
PUTTING ASIDE
FINALLY, REFERRED IN GENERAL TERMS TO THE PROBLEM OF
BRITISH SUBJECTS IN TROUBLE IN CHINA AND LACK OF INFORMATION ON THEM. IF A MESSAGE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY ON THEIR STATE OF HEALTH COULD BE CONVEYED, IN CONFIDENCE, TO FAMILIES CONCERNED,
THIS WOULD BE OF GREAT COMFORT TO RELATIVES, AND WOULD CONTRIBUTE
TO AN IMPROVEMENT OF ATMOSPHERE.
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CONFIDENTIAL
/7. T'ANG
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