TNAG-2908-FCO40-4182-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1993 — Page 14

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OUR TELNO 1065 AND ASHTON'S CHONG KONG) TL TO HKD OF 4 AUGUST:

HONG KONG RESIDENT DETAINED IN CHINA: CHONG KWEE SUNG

1. WE RAISED THIS CASE AGAIN WITH WANG GUISHENG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MFA HKMAO, WHEN WE CALLED ON OTHER BUSINESS ON 5 AUGUST.

2.

WANG SAID THAT HE STILL HAD NEWS FOR US, BUT HE HAD HEARD A LITTLE TIME AGO THAT OFFICERS FROM THE ZHENGZHOU PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU HAD APPLIED IN JUNE FOR VISAS TO VISIT HONG KONG TO PURSUE THEIR ENQUIRIES BUT THAT THE VISAS HAD APPARENTLY NOT BEEN GIVEN:

HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER THIS QUESTION HAD SINCE BEEN RESOLVED.

3. WE SAID THAT WE WERE NOT FULLY IN THE PICTURE ON THIS, BUT WE THOUGHT THAT HONG KONG/CHINA POLICE COOPERATION WAS USUALLY ON CRIMINAL MATTERS, RATHER THAN CIVIL DISPUTES. WANG GUISHENG SAID THAT WONG WAS ACCUSED OF ECONOMIC CRIMES''IE ECONOMIC BLACKMAIL. WE RESPONDED WITH A MILD REFERENCE TO THE DIFFERENT LEGAL SYSTEMS IN HONG KONG AND CHINA, ADDING THAT IN ANY CASE WE FAVOURED THE MAXIMUM COOPERATION BETWEEN THE POLICE AUTHORITIES.

4.

WE THEN ASKED NOTE-TAKERS TO PUT THEIR PADS AWAY AND SPOKE FRANKLY TO WANG ABOUT THE CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION AND LEGAL CODES INVOLVED IN CHONG'S LONG DETENTION. WE HAD RAISED THIS INNUMERABLE TIMES WITH THE MFA AND NCNA, HONG KONG, BUT NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. WE HAD HOPED TO SETTLE THE PROBLEM IN A LOW-KEY WAY, BUT IT HAD NOW BEEN NECESSARY FOR THE MINISTER OF STATE TO RAISE IT WITH THE CHINESE CHARGE. SURELY THE MFA COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS CASE: THEIR MINISTER WAS A MEMBER OF THE POLITBURO. WHAT ABOUT THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE ? WE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME HONG KONG NPC DEPUTIES HAD TAKEN UP CASES OF THIS KIND (WANG SAID HE HAD SEEN PRESS REPORTS ON THESE LINES). WAS THERE ANY OTHER AVENUE WHICH WE OR CHONG'S FAMILY COULD PURSUE ?

5.

WANG RESPONDED AS INERTLY AS EVER: HE ACCEPTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, AND THE MFA HAD MADE INTERVENTIONS, BUT THE SITUATION WAS

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