fco-21-1012-release-of-british-subject-detained-in-china-mrs-gladys-yang — Page 1

National Archives 英國國家檔案館 All

FE

FILE

14/3...

DO NOT RETAIN FILES AND PAPERS UNNECESSARILY

PART

RETURN THEN TO REGISTRY FOR B.U. OR PA

1972

STAMP

YEAR

SE

N.1

UF

(N.B. The grading of this jacket must be the same as that of the highest
graded document contained in it. "The appropriate upgrading slip must be
affixed when ever necessary.)

CONFIDENTIAL

H.M. DIPLOMATIC SERVICE

DEPT. or POST

Contents checked for transfer to

(5gd).

Dale

DLO.

FAR EASTERN

FILE NO FEC

14/3.

(Part --)

TITLE: DETENTION OF BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA.

REFER TO

<p>&nbsp;<span></span></p><!--more--><p></p>

NAME

TO

DATE

(and dept. when necessary)

SEE:

SubjectS

REFER TO

NAME

TO

DATE

(and dept. when necessary) SEE:

(MRS. GLADYS YANG)

REFER TO

NAME

TO

DATE

(and dapi. when necessary) SEE:

Fco 21/1012

6c 1422

-

SECURITY ANANIKOA

NI

UI

+

at

{N.B. The grading of this jacket must be the same on that of the highest
graded document contained in it. "The appropriate upgrading slip must be
affixed when ever necessary.)

CONFIDENTIAL

Registry Address

Room No. ...7.....

King Charles Street.

YEAR STAMP

1972

C

O

M

Jerford.

Ephemeral Confidendien

ما

4/10

Mrs Gladys long | Mrs

Brown & Mos Taylor.

Ниде ема

صف

We

броке

about

Case

Bis

"You

noming

wust

to

५.

جام

дам

The

correspondence

A&B.

The

& Flags

geven

It seems to me that we were bound to

✓ assist Mr. Tayler & Mrs Br. M'A

21

says

wesht not

ast

Ms Yogs

but it

was of the were

this the answoli

ader to help.

KM:A?

If it. Addio reverts to it, perhaps we should

fr ot

كالنساء

3

W

would so reply.

C.S. 41A

2500877

20,000-30/73-394067

BY BAG

REF

SCR 1/1167/55 x

RESTRICTED

F. C. 30/10

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

6 September, 1972

10

were ୧୧

I'm sure w

right to ccifor відст

MR Crompton Esq Mi Brown.

FED

FCO

r

+

R.Ę.

Dear Robin, Ense.

MRS HILDA BROWN

2.

FEC 14/3

219

gua را

T-Hea

conshear Jet. This Brown Folghoned on 8/9 to say

sture whe

Safely back, and repeated

much

check she told it Skates

Your letter to Mrs Brow

own of 17 July.

39

Mrs Brown, accompanied by Mrs Taylor, called on me this morning at her
request. Her principal purpose seemed to be to express thanks for the
help which she had received from the FCO. She had nothing special to
report.

3.

She said that her visit to China had gone very smoothly and that she had
found Mrs Gladys Yang's situation far better than it was before the
Cultural Revolution. They had been generously entertained by the Foreign
Languages Press, who had arranged a tour for them, Mrs Yang and her
children which had included Nanking.

4.

Mrs Brown said that since they had no particular problems to discuss
they had preferred not to call at the Embassy; she hoped that no one at
the Embassy would be put out by this omission.

Mrs Brown and Mrs Taylor are due to leave Hong Kong this afternoon for
London.

5.

Yous ever,

Dich Shatton

(R J Stratton)

CC

MJ Richardson Esq PEKING

RESTRICTED

CONFIDENTIAL

930 8440

JM Addis Esq CMG PEKING

(PEC 14/3)

22 August 1972

гард

PERSONAL

GLADYS YANG

1.

I found it helpful

I found it helpful to get the detailed account in your letter 31/1 of 22
July save the reasons why you thought it would be inappropriate for the
Embassy to intervene officially with the Chinese on behalf of Gladys
Yang's sister and her (Mrs Brown's) sister-in-law,

2. I have much sympathy for your point of view. We find that Consular
Department share it too. But I hope you will agree that, given all that
has happened during the past few years, we should have found it very
difficult to turn down a direct request for help from Mrs Brown, We
should also have found it difficult to justify a reaction of this kind
if Mrs Brown had written to a Member of Parliament or a Minister, As
things have turned out, I do not think that any harm has in fact been
done to our relations with the Chinese.

3.

I hope that we shall not again be asked for help by Mrs Brown or by any
of her relations.

RM Evans

Far Eastern Department

CONFIDENTIAL

Ely

Reference

77}

Mr Rose (Consular Dept.)

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Eveans

You

wukturee

medy The Rosel comeredut

M

tagge mated prophety.

X

MRS GLADYS YANG

1. Please see the attached letter from the Ambassador in Peking. We
should be grateful for your observations. Our own preliminary
inclination is to disagree with Mr Addis. Although it is true that Mrs
Yang has thrown in her lot with the Chinese, she still remains a British
subject and as such ́ presumably is entitled to whatever consular
protection we are able to give her (in the circumstances of China not
very much).

Nor

do we consider intervention on behalf of Mrs Yang or similar people has
any serious affect on our political relations with the Chinese; they
have their own good reasons for seeking better relations with us,

2. Mr Addis may be right in stating that we did not however ask
officially for Mrs Yang's release from detention. Nevertheless this was
implicit in our repeated enquiries on her behalf, and I do not think
that the Chinese would draw such a fine distinction ~ between our asking
for her release and our asking that she might make contact with her
relatives in England.

3. I should be grateful for your comments by the end of the week. We
would like to reply to Mr Addis by the next bag leaving on 22 August.

Ik Addo Love

-Ar

Defies.

what

"rive line

-oy your

HL Davies

Far Eastern Department

Aushaling

CONFIDENTIAL

م

سف مو

wwwcined

Conner Devahet

and, while X

DO 897452 154596 500M 1/72 GH 3643;2

Ce

مستند

Achinh

eine

who argue vemantarly

ter

Ja

poumble

te. Fco.

difficult period

ཡ་

tarantin

This

Lind

wwwith

aque

azgand

صلية

بسام

+

Lovey.

Lene To Mi Add's

R.E.

·

15/8/12

2778.

31/1

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH EMBASLY

PEKING

July 1972

20h

RM Evans Esq

Far Eastern Department

R

PIC IN

RY

TO

-

Foreign and Commonw alth Office

LONDON SW1

Dear Richard,

35

FEL 14/1 Reply.

R.E. 2278.

1. I should like in this letter to explain a little the thought behind y
telegram number 689 of 12 July in which I said I thought it would be
inappropriate for us to intervene officially with the Chinese to enable
Gladys Yang's sister to join her on a visit.

2.

More than 25 years ago Gladys Taylor, as she then wes, took, with full
knowledge of all the consequences, the decision to marry a Chinese and
settle down to life in China. More than that, after 1950 she took
employment under the Chinese Goverment and has worked for them loyally
ever since. As my recent conversation with her Blowed, she accepts the
direction of the Chine e Communist Party, even if she may not herself be
a member of the party. At tim ́s during the 1950's and 1960's, on
political issues she openly sympathised with the Chinese Govenment
against the British Government. In 1967 she was taken into custody, as
we understand it for having taken part in Chinese internal politics. We
do not know whether or not there is any truth in that chargo. She has
however retained her British nationality and has always been careful to
keep her passport up to date. Thus when she was taker into detention we
intervened officially with the Chinese Government to ask for news of her
and to request that she might be allowed to make contact with her
relatives in England. Wo did not, so far as I know, ever ask officially
for her release from detention least I have been car ful not to since I
came here this year. has now been released and has elected t return to
her former employment under the Chinese Government. So far as we know
she is a free sent and is under no sort of compulsion. She has made no
complaint to us since her release and has not asked for our help. There
is surely no case for treating her as a specially privileged person.
From what I know of her I think she w uld be the first to say that she
is not entitled to and does not want any official help from the Britin
Government in any of her personal affairs.

сато

Except in

in a foreigner in a foreign country is ensively

a free agen! R.E.

-one married To

JONVIDENTIAL

1578.

at

3he

CONFIDENTIAL

3.

In all these circumstances it seems to me not only inappropriate but
wrong that we should intervene officially with the Chinese to facilitate
the journey of Hilda Brown to see Gladys Yang in Poking. If the Chinese
ask us on what grounds this intervention is justified I do not know what
we can answer. Gladys has her own channel of communication to the
Chinese authorities through her Party Secretary.

4.

I hope therefore that you will not ask us again to intervene on behalf
of Gladys Tang unless there is some new development in regard to her
circumstances which would require whatever measure of intervention would
be appropriate to any other British subject. I think it is important at
the present stage of the evolution of our relations with the Chinese
that this Eabasey should be careful to maintain an entirely correct
position in all matters which we take up with the Chinese Government and
should not intervene in matters which are not properly our concern.

Yours ever,

John Addis

J M Addis

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER/CAT A

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 013349Z

RESTRICTED

RECEI***

TO ROUTINE PEKING TELNO 77 OF 1ST AUGUST, 1972. INFORGUTINE F CO.

34

CRCMPTON'S LETTER OF 17 JULY TM MRS HILDA BROWN.

Ес

سا

8/

MRS. BROWN LEFT HONG KONG THIS MORNING FOR CANTON WHERE SHE WILL BE MET
BY MRS. GLADYS YANG. THEY WILL TRAVEL TO PEKING TOGETHER

AND MRS. BROWN EXPECTS TO RETURN ON 4 OR 6 SEPTEMBER.

2. SHE WAS TAKEN CARE OF IN HONG KONG BY DR. PATERSON OF THE

NETHERSOLE HOSPITAL AND DID HOT ASK FOR OUR ASSISTANCE.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

FED

HKIOD

MR WILFORD

RESTRICTED

+

بیا

Mr Walker Nord 19.7 M. Harty

Reference

(to

lagre by 2017

May HILDA BROWN

Mrs Bowron tetepbored

me

RE

REG:.

Ki

today to

visas

say

at

de and Mas Jungler received their vous (welid for 2 months, from the

• point Hong Kong Chinese Embery live. Key rove corteonly received

He ladies now

to HK.

flam

to towel on 2

29 July

I added whattor they had visited Chinn before. Mas Brown said she had or
but some

Jay

years

back.

I offord to give her and Mrs Jugler any further background they might
require. Has from mid expensed gratitude and sand they would beef thes

вы

fin mind.

I mentioned this in case the lashes had had no experience of China. In
this case it might have been advable to us to mite them

مندر

L

in

for general briefing been before, and stiles

But as Mrs from has

me as

A

world-mannered

and toperative person, unlikely to encounter trouble,

you may feel.

we can

safely of of this idea

d. Compton

19/7

·

Krs Hilda Brown

7 Sunningdale Gardens LONDON NW7 3PD

17 July 1972

37

31

Thank you for your letter of 9 July, which we discussed on the
telephone.

I am happy to confirm that the Chinese Embassy in London have informed
us that they have received authority to grant visas to krs Tayler and
yourself. You said you would be calling at the Embassy this afternoon to
collect them. I have since heard from the Embassy that Mrs Tayler has
not yet submitted her application forms and passport photograchs. No
doubt this will be cleared up during your call on the Erbassy today.

You naked about the quickest means of travel from Hong Kong to Peking.
As a general rule, it would be quickest to take the train from Hong Kong
to Canton and thence the flight to Teking. Á train leaves liong Kong
about 9.30 am daily, arriving in Centon about 4 pm. This often just
misses the daily connecting flight fro: Canton to Peking. It would thus
probably be necessary for you to spend the night in Canton and catch the
next day's flight to Peking.

Ferhaps I should mention that the rail link Canton/Peking, although
slower, is sometimes more reliable, as flights are not infrequently
cancelled. If you travelled by train it would be advisable to book
first- ("sort") class seats in Hong Kong. The Administration Officer at
the British Trade Commission, Hong Kong, will be pleased to help you
with travel arrangements. The rail journey Canton/ Peking takes about 40
hours; sleeping accommodation (in the first class) is comfortable.

You asked about British Consular representation in ong Kong and Canton.
There is, I am afraid, no UK Consulate in Canton. Should you have
difficulty in Hong Kong, we suggest you call on the Assistant Political
Adviser at the Colonial Jecretariat, who has been informed of your
visit.

- 1 -

/I

T

J

I am very lad that your application has been successful. I hope you have
an enjoyablo trip.

/Copies to:

MJ Richardson Esq PEKING

CJ Howells Esq HONG KONG

Mr Carr

(Consular Department)

Miss Kelly (HK&IOD)

2 -

MR Crompton

Far dastern Department'

L

PRIORITY

R CAT A

FV F C 0 1712232

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

+

TOP COF

(FED)

TO PRIORITY PEXING TEL NO. 536 OF 17/7 INFO HONG KONG.

YOUR TEL NO 689: MRS KILDA BROWił.

HERVEY TELEPHONED THE CHINESE EMBASSY ON 14 JULY TO ASK THAT

VISAS SHOULD BE AUTHORIZED FOR IRS BROWN AND HRS TAYLER,

THE EMBASSY INFORMED US ON 17 JÚLY THAT AUTHORITY FOR THE ISSUE OF VISAS
HAD BEEN RECEIVED.

h

2. WE HAVE TOLD HRS BROWN AND KRS TAYLER. YOU MAY WISH TO

HIFORA MRS YANG.

DOUGLAS-HOME

FILES

FED

MVD

CONS D

hAIUD

MR WILFORD

MR SCOTT

P

CONFIDENTIAL

+

h

1

1712252

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No.

DEPARTMENT

FE

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION PRIORITY MARKINGS

Fop Spor

Confidential

Lindasikad

flasi

(Date)

Deynched

Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should

reach addressee(s)

17/7

1500

R

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

En Clair. Cou Cypher

Draft Telegram to:-

[ Security_classification

-if any

tion]

Confidantes 1712252

+F+kutontudod -----

[

Privacy marking -if any

1.

[Codeword-if any]

Addressed to

Pekug

Per

No!

53

36

And to

(Date) 17/7 repeated for information to

And to:-

Saving to

T

telegram No..

............................. ..........................................

(date)

17 July

Hay Kong.

F.111

LI - ayıyımııımıqulpri

Repeat to

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.