HERE.
7.
GRATEFUL FOR FURTHER COMMENTS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT HONG KONG TEL NO 92.
SEE ALSO M.I.F.T.
SOSFA
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
EQF.E.D.
P.C.D.
NEWS DEPT.
C.0. H.K.D.
D.S.A.0. PERSONNEL DEPT.
CONFIDENTIAL
24
Mr. Wilkinson
CONFIDENTIAL
covering Secret
¦ PFCEIVED IN
AR
VES No.31
22 JAN 1968
F4318
130
Problem
Mr. Anthony Grey and the New China News Agency
No progress has been made in securing access to Mr. Grey,
nor have the Chinese responded to an informal suggestion made
by Sir Donald Hopson that Mr. Grey might be exchanged for
N.C.N.A. personnel in prison in Hong Kong. There has been
some recent press publicity in this country about the case
and we must expect further Parliamentary questions and possibly
an adjournment debate. We have to decide what further pressure,
if any, can be put on the Chinese to release Mr. Grey and how
the case should be handled in public.
Recommendation
2. I recommend that we should consult Sir D. Hopson further
on the lines of the attached draft telegrams in which the
Commonwealth Office concur.
Argument and Background
3. Sir D. Hopson has had a number of exchanges with the
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about visits to Mr. Grey.
He has pointed out that the N.C.N.A. personnel in prison in
Hong Kong are allowed regular visits by their relatives.
The
Chinese have countered by saying that they should be allowed
special visits by their N.C.N.A. colleagues and others who
would wish to bring them extra food and clothing. The Governor
/of
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2.
of Hong Kong has agreed that special visite are permissible
provided that the prisoners concerned conform to the regu-
lations by requesting them. Extra food and clothing or a
change in the procedure for special visits would not, however,
be possible without creating a dangerous precedent for other
prisoners. The Chinese have been informed, but have not
pursued the matter.
4. Sir D. Hopson, on instructions, has also revived the
suggestion first contained in the Secretary of State's letter
to the Chinese Foreign Minister on 31 August last that there
might be an exchange of Grey for N.C.N.A. personnel in prison.
The initial Chinese response was unenthusiastic but the
official concerned promised to pass on the proposal to
higher authority.
5. From the time of Mr. Grey's house arrest in July up
until just before Christmas we all (1.e. the Foreign Office,
Sir D. Hopson and Reuters) agreed that publicity about Kr.
Grey's case should be avoided as it might cause the Chinese
to bring charges against him. We hoped that a greater improve-
ment in Sino-British relations would enable us to make progress
over the case. Shortly before Christmas Sir D. Hopson
recommended that we should we give publicity to the case.
After consultation with Reuters, we decided to defer a decision
until the reassembly of Parliament. In the meantime an article
appeared about Mr. Grey in the Sunday Times, but as a result
of our intervention it was in cautious terms and did not attract
/great
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-3-
Flag A 727
Flag B
Flag
great attention.
6. In Foreign Office telegram No. 49 we stated that we
might be under pressure to take some retaliatory action
against N.C.N.A. in London if there were no progress over
and Mr. Grey, that publicity would increase this pressure,
asked whether in the circumstances Sir D. Hopson still
favoured publicity. His views are contained in Peking telegram no. 42
(which crossed ours) and Peking telegram
127) no. 48.
Sir D. Hopson recommends strongly against retaliation
on N.C.N.A. in London and indicates that he would not favour
publicity if this led to greater pressure for retaliation.
7. In the wider context of Sino-British relations, Sir D.
Hopson has also had exchanges with the Governor of Hong Kong
about the possibility of a major act of clemency on the
occasion of the Chinese New Year at the end of January e.g.
the release of all political prisoners (Peking telegrams
Flags D & E nos. 22 and 41). Sir D. Hopson hopes that such a gesture
Fpi(274
would smooth the way for progress over Mr. Grey. Understandably the
Governor has serious reservations (Hong Kong telegram no. 50)
FD13/8 (62)
Flag F
FD273) though he has indicated willingness to make limited and
graduated concessions, some of which have already been made.
If we He has undertaken to let us have his further views.
accept Sir D. Hopson's reasoning, the only way forward on the Grey case
is by means of unilateral concessions to the Chinese, in particular a
major and probably damaging con-
cession in Hong Kong. We have discussed the matter at
/official
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i
official level with the Commonwealth Office who share the
Governor's and our own misgivings. Before putting the
matter to Ministers, I think we should consult Sir D. Hopson
further. I have suggested that our views should be sent by
telegram because the bag service is slow and I think it
important that we should clear our minds about the case as
soon as possible. The Managing Director of Reuters is due
to discuss the case with Mr. Rodgers next week.
8. If Sir D. Hopson can be persuaded that retaliation
against N.C.N.A. in London is a possibility, we shall require
a Ministerial approach to the Home Office to try to get them
to change the position taken up last year when the then Home
Secretary would not agree that there were grounds for
expelling N.C.N.A. personnel.
9. Subject to your views, I think it would be helpful if
the telegrams to Peking could go from the Permanent Under-
Secretary in order to indicate to Sir D. Hopson that his
views have been very carefully weighed at the highest official
level.
Copy to Mr. Carter, C.0.
Sn P. Allen.
Densor
John Denson
(J. B. Denson) 19 January, 1968
Ahithesis.
from 19.
I had discussed this in general terms with mur
agree with the draft, telegrams.
and
P.U.S.
| Since
CONFIDENTIAL
Denis Allen. 19%
C
the relegrowns were drafted, we have received
Flag H
Hong Kong relegram No. 92
Yo
Commonwealth
office confirming that the Governot sen objectin to a major out of
elemming but making cerrain help for suggestions on
way forward on
exch myr.
a pussion
Apres speakerj
Yo Sri D. Allen, I have amended me
Just draps Pelegten to take mis into
account.
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19 January
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REF
1321
Mr. Wilkinson
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Ꮀ
F1318
Private Secretary
syes
135)
Mr Wilkinson or
FG Mlynicy
M
19/1
MM 22 Jan.
a.wik.
VISITS TO MR. GREY AND IMPRISONED N.C.N.A.
REPORTERS IN HONG KONG
The Secretary of State asked for comments on Peking
telegram No. 369 of 23 December which made suggestions about
approaching the Chinese in an attempt to arrange an exchange
of Mr. Grey of Reuters for either one or both of the New China
News Agency (N.C.N.A.) reporters in prison in Hong Kong.
2. Following this and other telegrams from Hong Kong reporting
that the N.C.N.A. office there had asked for permission to make
official New Year visits to their imprisoned reporters, and for
other Communist organisations to make official visits to their
members in prison, we instructed Sir Donald Hopson to approach
the Chinese on the question of visits and also make a personal
suggestion about the possibility of arranging an exchange
(Foreign Office telegram to Peking No. 1141). The arguments
in favour of such a course are contained in my submission of 29
December.
3. Sir Donald carried out these instructions on 31 December
(Peking telegram No. 1 of 1 January). He was told that the
D13/89 Chinese G
Chinese Government would "absolutely not agree" to the procedure
suggested, that the prisoners themselves should make a request
to be visited (in accordance with the prison regulations) even
A CONFIDENTIAL
/though
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2-
though Sir Donald had hinted very clearly that such a request,
if made, would be granted. The Chinese also said that they
"might consider" allowing a visit to Mr. Grey if the Hong Kong
authorities satisfied the requests (in the plural) made
by the N.C.N.A. office in Hong Kong. On the question of an
exchange, the official concerned said that he would pass on
the suggestion to a higher authority but gave his personal
opinion that it was unlikely to be agreed since "so many people
had been killed and arrested in Hong Kong" and it was there-
fore impossible to settle the problem "ao lightly".
4.
Despite what the Chinese have said, there is still a
possibility that they will instruct the imprisoned reporters
to request visits from their organisation. This would be
perfectly easy for them to do since the prisoners are allowed
to send and receive letters freely. If such a visit took
place it might possibly lead to a visit being allowed to Mr.
Grey, although we have no guarantee of this. On the other
hand, they may stick to the view that the Hong Kong Government
has no right to insist on such a procedure and use this as an
In this excuse for continuing to refuse access to Mr. Grey.
case we shall have to consider what other tactics we might
possibly adopt to secure access to, and ultimately the release
of Mr. Grey.
5. When we last discussed Mr. Grey's case with Reuters (on
22 December) it was agreed that the position should be reviewed
/before
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·
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- 3-
before Parliament reassemblea on 17 January, with particular
reference to whether it had become desirable to publicise
the case.
I consider that this timetable should stand. The
intervening period may allow us to see whether the present
approach has achieved anything, and whether there is any
reaction to the idea of an exchange.
James Huay
(James Murray) 3 January, 1968
Copy to: kr. Samuel
John laque
but we mur
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pressure
the pre
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Whilkussen.
FE De
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CONFIDENTIAL
REF
132.
113
135
CONFIDENTIAL
¡AR: "IVE No.31
Supante subuussion.
2 JAN 1908
Mr. Murpay
Masa F21318
Far Eastern Department.
Grey
The Secretary of State has
seen Peking Telegram No. 369_of 23 December, and has asked for comment,
please.
See Sundercstioni ar-136
p.c..
Fe1 3/8113)
Диагр Amaysuit 27.
(D. I. Morphet)
29 December, 1967
;
CONFIDENTIAL
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19 JAN 1968
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TO TH FLAG OF THE INFOMATION
1.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry F213/8 DRAFT
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclesfied.
PRIVACY MARKING
CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT letter
To:-
The Home Secretary
Type 1 +
From
132)
Secretary of State
Telephone No, & Ext.
Department
-
In Confidences
The Reuters Correspondent in Peking :
Hr. Anthony frey
Earlier in the year yé discussed with
your predecessor the question of action against the New China News
Agency (NCNA) Office/in
London, first in the context of NCNA
to violence in Hong Kong and later/in the
context of retaliation for the house arrest
of Mr. Anthony Grey, the Reuters correspondent
in Peking. The upshot of these exchanges
was that Mr. Jenkins was reluctant to take
action to expel members of the NCNA Office,
agree/not to grant any new
afthough head agree/not
entry visa and also to withhold the renewal
of residence permits for those whose permits had expired.
think the time has now come to revert
To this question. As you know, Mr. Anthony
Grey is still under house arrest. We have
made a number of attempts both to secure
access to him and to obtain his release but
all have so far proved ineffective.
In the
rcumstances I think we must now consider
ways in which we could put further pressure
on the Chinese,
A. One
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CONFIDENTIAL
3. . One of the obvious ways of doing this
would be to threaten the Chinese that we
would close the NCNA London Office unless
they released Grey. We know that the
Chinese place considerable importance on the
activities of this office and we would, of
course, hope that such a threat would achieve
the desired result. We must however be
prepared to put the threat into practice
if the Chinese refused to move.
4. ▲ secondary point is that we are likely
to be under increasing public pressure to
do something further for Mr. Grey, particularly after Parliament
reassembles on 16 Jamary.
You will probably have noticed that some
questions in the House have already asked
about restrictions on the NCNA London Office
and I would expect this line to be pursued.
I think we shall be under considerable
criticism if we have to reply that it is
impossible to take action against the NCNA,
regardless of the fact that the only British
correspondent in Peking has been held under
house arrest for many months even though no
charges have been preferred against him.
5. I would therefore like to seek your
approval now to our making an approach to
the Chinese threatening them that we will
close the NCNA London office on a specified
date unless they release Mr. Grey, By
making such a threat we would of course
commit ourselves to taking the action threat- ened if the Chinese nade
no response, and I hope that you will now agree that this should be done
if necessary.
CONFIDENTIAL
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
WID'L SE 743
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
CONFIDENTIAL
131
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATIÓN
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Coulderson
Registry 238 DRAFT f21318
Submissi on
Type 1+
To:-
From
Mr. Wilking on
(Copy to xr. Colin Wilson, JD).
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
Mr. Denson
The Reuters Correspondent in Peking :
Mr. Anthony/Grey
Problem
We have triedța variety of ways to
secure either access to Mr. Grey or his
release but póne of these hate so far
proved successful. W have also given the
Chinese a very broad hint that we would be
prepared to exchange the imprisoned NCNA
reporter in Hong Kong (Haba P'ing) for
r. Grey but there has so far been no
reaction from the Chinese. We must now
consider what further efforts to make, partialarly
particularly in view of the likely interest
ip/Mr. Grey's case when Parliament reassemblea In 16 January.
Recommendation
2.
A recommend that:
a) we should be prepared to give
Mr. Grey' a case greater publicity
in this country before Parlian en t
reassembles, and
b)
we should prepare to threaten the
Chinese that their NONA London
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.