CONFIDENTIAL
But
Government. If they deny people access to Hong Kong for this purpose, they are accused of stifling free speech. if they let them in, the resulting anti-China publicity only redoubles Chinese determination to do everything necessary
to prevent Hong Kong becoming a 'centre of subversion'
against China.
He
B 4. We consulted the Governor of Hong Kong on this case.
advised (HK telno 974) that considerable embarrassment would be caused by such a visit to Hong Kong. If the delegation were to be allowed to hold a meeting in Hong Kong about
political prisoners in China it would be seized upon by the Chinese as a classic example of Hong Kong being used as a
'base for subversion' against China.
5.
The Governor suggests that we should try, if possible, to dissuade the organisers from using Hong Kong as the platform for their activities. But he acknowledges that
they are unlikely to be dissuaded, and that if they persist
with their plans, there is a limit to what the Hong Kong
Government can do to stop them. Technically, anybody can be
refused permission to land but it would be politically unwise to do this to European MPs.
6.
There is also the complicating factor that the Prime Minister quoted from a letter from Mr Parry in Peking last
September. As Mr Parry notes in his latest missive, he
advised the Prime Minister "that I would be going out this
year and he asked me to let him know what success we had".
7.
We should therefore brief No 10 once the reply to
Mr Parry has issued. It is a difficult message to get
JM2ABE/2
CONFIDENTIAL
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