positive
contacts, when there is the prospect of diplomatic relations being opened with other Western countries, and when the Chinese have renewed talks with the Americans, in their hearing a European voice other than the French, and to a lesser extent the Norwegian.
Conclusions and Recommendations
7. If the situation over prisoners in Hong Kong remains unchanged, I think we must be prepared for a prolonged freeze in our political relations. As prisoners are gradually released the Chinese may release British subjects one by one and after a number of years they might decide that the remainder are an encumbrance and release them also, while tacitly accepting the continued imprisonment of a small number of their sympathizers in Hong Kong. This could well take some time as even by the end of 1972 there will still be 44 prisoners left (plus the two with life sentences).
8.
My recommendations are:
(a) We again put to the Chinese the proposal that confrontation prisoners should be "returned to China". The chance of their acceptance is slight but the attempt should be made.
(b) Publicity about remaining British subjects detained should be maintained at as high a level as possible.
(c) The Governor should be pressed to continue the regular review of sentences. If there are any plausible medical or compassionate grounds to release prisoners, the opportunity should be taken to do so.
(a) Every opportunity should be taken to emphasize to the Governor the need for restraint in action against communist sympathizers and for full consultation in advance of action.
CORPIUINTAT.
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