CONFIDENTIAL
SPEAKING NOTES
218
+
Anthony Grey, your correspondent detained in Peking,
continues to be very much on my mind.
The Head of For
Eastern Department has been keeping you in touch with develop- ments. I am glad to have the opportunity of re-emphasising
my personal interest.
The Probe in Hong Kong
2. You already know of the existence of a probe through
covert channels in Hong Kong aimed at securing the release
of Mr. Grey in exchange for the release to China for the
remainder of their sentences of the eleven newsworkers
remaining imprisoned in Hong Kong. We were not sanguine
about the chances that such an exercise might succeed.
Nevertheless, we thought that we owed it to Mr. Grey to try; and we made every attempt to accommodate Chinese susceptibilities
during the negotiations. Unfortunately the result is as we
feared. The Chinese have simply attempted to beat us dow
further. They have showed no sign of willingness to accept
this very reasonable compromise solution, but have simply
returned again and again to their insistence on the prematuro
release in Hong Kong of the eleven remaining convicted news
workers. It would appear that a solution as such is not what
they desire. They are holding out for a solution which will
give them the maximum propaganda advantage and do greatest
damage to our interests in Hong Kong. Our offer has now been
on the table for two months.
I think we must gongVE IN
has failed.
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED
REGISTRY No.51
15 APR 1969
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