TNAG-0216-FCO40-252-Detainees-and-prisoners-convicted-for-offences-during-the-di-1970 — Page 92

Mr. Appleyard

Reference...

217./28.

Flyt

Mr. Carter (Hong Kong Dept.)

Sino-British Relations

This is a somewhat depressing letter from

Mr. Denson on the prospects of improving Sino-British relations and obtaining the release of the remaining nine British subjects detained. I would agree with him that the chances of their being released in the

near future are bleak but it seems over-pessimistic to suggest that there will be no further releases

for some years.

.2.

But we

I think that we would agree in Far Eastern

Department that the premature release of at least some of the remaining Chinese prisoners in Hong Kong is unlikely to weaken confidence in the Hong Kong

Government's ability to manage its affairs.

are not going to convince the Hong Kong Government

of this at the moment. However, it is not axiomatic

that the release of Chinese prisoners would lead to the release of British prisoners. The Chinese have

never directly linked the nine with the remaining

Chinese prisoners in Hong Kong. It is well to remember too that the Chinese are displeased with other aspects of our policy towards them and that their internal political scene is also a factor in their policy-making.

3. I do not see how we can avoid the danger that the Hong Kong Government may need to take strong action against local communists if they decided under

instructions to court such a reaction. But all the

evidence at the moment is that this is unlikely.

The local communists are under instructions not to

provoke the Hong Kong Government. Mr. Denson perhaps puts his finger on our dilemma when he states that in the final analysis it is our position in Hong Kong which counts rather than improved relations with the

Chinese.

4. It is not entirely clear how much weight the Chinese attach to obtaining the release of the

remaining prisoners in Hong Kong. In official

exchanges they have only raised the issue twice in

recent months and in both instances it is difficult to

see how they could have avoided doing so (our representations in December on behalf of Mrs, Martin and Mr. McBain, and the Chinese protest about the

SECRET

/ death