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CONFIDENTIAL,
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Cypher/Cat A
IGEDIATE
Telno 239
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
26 March 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
ki PARGLIVES No.31
30 APR 1968
FD13/8
05
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 239 of 25 March. Repeated for
information to Hong Kong.
Your telegram No. 283: Prison Visits.
Jupal/5-
I saw Hsueh Deputy Director of Western Europe this afternoon and spoke
on the lines suggested.
2.
Hsuch replied NCNA's request to Political Adviser for visits to 21
prisoners was reasonable because Chinese side had repeatedly made clear
that they were talking about NCNA correspondents (Chi Che) and other
patriotic "journalists" (he used term Hsin Wen Kung Tso Che, which means
literally "news workers"). The 21 men in question were all included in
this category. Therefore Hong Kong authorities should meet Chinese
request. On the number of visitors Hsueh said that it was reasonable for
NCNA to ask for more than two visitors per prisoner because even on
regular prison visits a prisoner was allowed three visitors at a time so
why should it be fewer than three in the case of special visits? The
Hong Kong authorities should also accept Chinese request on this point.
3.
I replied, so far as prisoners to be visited was concerned it was not
for us a question of numbers but a question of category. It might be
that for reasons of translation there had been a genuine
misunderstanding. We had spoken of "journalists". The Chinese had
evidently been using a term of wider definition. On this, and on Chinese
request for three visitors per prisoner, I undertook to report to you
what Hsueh had said.
4. Hsuch repeated the view that such questions as number of visitors per
prisoner were better discussed in Hong Kong but added that it was à
matter of principle for Chinese that number be no less than three.
See my immediately following telegram.
Foreign Office pass Immediate to Hong Kong No. 166.
Sir D. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
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En Clair
PEKING
Telno 234
UNCLASSIFIED
تا
CONFIDENTIAL
TO
FOREIGN OFFICE
25 March 1968
104) 20
RECEIVED 1.
[ARCHIVES No 3:
30 APR 1968
F013/8
Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 164 of 25 March,
Repeated for information to Foreign Office.
Foreign Office telegram No. 283 to me. [Prison Visits)
Paragraph 2. Do you agree?
Sir D. Hopson
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palls
25 March 1968
Telno 368
CONFIDENTIAL
(03) 1:
SCEIVED IN
MiVES No.31
JO APR 1958
FD13/8
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 368 of
25 March, Repeated for information to Peking.
Your telegram No. 283 [to Peking]: Prison Visits,
Paragraph 4: We have already told N.C.N.A. that a member of the
Political Advisers Office would be present at entry to the prison
(repeat prison) to ensure that there was no difficulties about entry
procedure etc. This seema common sense. We added
however that representative would not wish to be present at actual
interview with the prisoners although these would have to be attended by
a prison officer.
2.
Paragraph 2 of Peking telegram No. 164: We are quite prepared (please
see my telegram No. 366 paragraph 3) to consider allowing 3 visits but
we have been anxious not to play this card until it seems likely that we
would have something in exchange,
Sir D. Trench
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COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
102
F013/8:
Cypher/Cat.A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TO
Telno. 366
23 March 1968
100
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed Commonwealth Office telegram No. 366
of 23 March.
Repeated for information to Peking.
My telegram No. 363: Prison Visits.
It seems possible that there has been a genuine misunderstanding about
which prisoners are eligible for
Kuch depends on how the phrase "bona fide journalists" was translated in
Peking.
visits.
2. A second contention of the NCNA representatives here is that nothing
was actually "agreed" in Peking except the principle of "special visits"
to "patriotic newspaper employees": They therefore maintain that they
are on firm ground in asking e.g. that the number of visitors should be
four.
3.
In fact there are not now great differences between the two sides
(except on the question of Mao's thoughts). If there seemed some
prospect of satisfactorily settling the point about eligibility for
visits we should be prepared to consider allowing at any rate three
visitors.
4. We should be grateful for Peking's comments on points in paragraphs 1
and 2: and for views on whether in present circumstances it would be
worthwhile going back to the M.F.A. on the lines proposed in paragraph 2
of Peking telegram No.225.
Foreign Office pass Priority Peking 127.
Sir D. Trench
[Repetition to Peking referred for Departmental
decision]
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FOREIGN OFFICE ΤΟ PEKING
22 MARCH 1968
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2
IN
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FD13/8.
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100
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NO 283 OF 22 MARCH REPEATED FOR INFORM-
ATION TO HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 363 TO C.O. : PRISON VISITS.
FROM THESE FURTHER EXCHANGES IT IS CLEAR THAT EITHER KNOWINGLY OR
THROUGH MISUNDERSTANDING N.C.N.A. ARE GOING BEYOND THE TERMS ORIGINALLY
AGREED IN PEKING. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, PLEASE THEREFORE APPROACH
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AS SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR
TELEGRAM NO. 225, AND POINT OUT THAT THE N.C.N.A. APPEAR TO BE CALLING
IN QUESTION MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE WHICH IT WAS AGREED SHOULD BE SETTLED
IN PEKING, YOU SHOULD RECALL YOUR EARLIER DISCUSSIONS (YOUR TELEGRAMS
NOS. 84, 98, 152 AND 178) IN WHICH REPEATED AND SPECIFIC REFERENCES WERE
MADE TO QUOTE PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE AND SAY THAT THE N.C.N.A.
WERE NOW SEEKING TO EXTEND VISITS TO ALL QUOTE PATRIOTIC NEWSPAPER
EMPLOYEES UNQUOTE. YOU MIGHT ADD THAT YOU HAD PARTICULARI Y STRESSED
(PARAGRAPH 4 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 152) THAT JOURNALISTS MUST BE BONE
FIDE. THIS WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THERE COULD BE NO
NEGOTIATION IN HONG KONG AND ON WHICH WE COULD NOT GIVE GROUND. WE
THEREFORE HOPED THAT THE POSITION COULD BE MADE CLEAR TO N.C.N.A.
IMMEDIATELY SO THAT DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG COULD PROCEED.
2.
YOU MIGHT ALSO REFER TO N.C.N.A. HAVING QUERIED THE NUMBER OF VISITORS
TO EACH PRISONER. THIS WAS ALSO A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE ON WHICH OUR
POSITION HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR (YOUR TELEGRAM NO.152) IF THE CHINESE SHOW
NO STRONG DISPOSITION TO CONTEST THIS, YOU SHOULD SHOW NO WILI RGNESS TO
COMPROMISE IF HOWEVER THE MATTER SEEMS LIKELY TO PROVE A STICKING POINT
YOU MAY, SUBJECT TO CONFIRM- ATION BY THE GOVERNOR, INDICATE THAT WE
WOULD BE PREPARED TO ALLOW THREE VISITORS. THERE ARE ALREADY PRECEDENTS
FOR THIS.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 3. ON MATTERS
:
זי
P
نا
CONFIDENTIAL
2
3. ON MATTERS OF DETAIL TO BE SETTLED IN HONG KONG, WE CONSIDER THERE
SHOULD BE NO CONCESSIONS OVER FOOD-STUFFS OR MAO'S WORKS (UNLESS THE
LATTER CAN BE DEALT WITH AS SUGGESTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO.225 WITHOUT
INVOLVING THE RISK MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF HONG KONG TELEGRAM
NO.354)
4.
IN THE LIGHT OF PARAGRAPHS 1 AND 2 OF HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 357, WE
DOUBT WHETHER IT IS WORTH CONTESTING THE CHINESE REQUEST THAT A MEMBER
OF THE POLITICAL ADISER'S OFFICE BE PRESENT
DURING VISITS.
SOSFA
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CONFIDENTIAL
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H
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
ju palls
TO CONMONWEALTH OFF ICS
TIMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMDER 365
22 MARCH 1968
100
RECEIVED IN
VES No.31
→ APR 1968
1.
99
CONFIDENTIAL
F01378
ADDRESSED CO TELEGRAM NO. 363 OF 22ND MARCH REPEATED PEKING.
AY TELEGRAM NO. 357: PRISON VISITS.
A FURTHER MEETING WAS HELD WITH CHA ON MARCH 21ST. POLITICAL ADVISER PUT
FORWARD A PROGRANNE CWORKED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POINTS MADE IN
PEKING ON THE LIVES OF PARA. 1(A) CF YOUR TELEGRAM 10, 347) FOR VISITS
EARLY NEXT WEEK TO 14 OF THE PRISONERS. HE POINTED OUT THAT OF CHINESE
LIST OF 22 ONE HAD ALREADY BEEN RELEASED SEMICOLON 5 VERE LABOURERS
(EMPLOYED SY WEN WEI PAO) AND 2 CAGED 17 AND 14) WERE NEWSPAPER SELLERS
ONLY. NONE OF THESE WERE DONAFIDE JOURNALISTS AND THEY WERE THEREFORE
INELIGIBLE FOR VISITS UNDER THE PEKING PROPOSALS.
2. NCHA CONCEDE THE IMPORTANT POINT THAT VISITS SHOULD BE TO
INDIVIDUALS, NOT GROUPS. BUT THEY SAID THAT THE PROGRAMME WAS
UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE:-
CAD THEY CONSIDERED THE NUMBER OF VISITORS SHOULD BE FOUR
NOT TWO. CTHEY POINTED OUT THAT THREE PEOPLE MIGHT GO ON NORMAL VISITS
TO PRISONERS).
(3) THEIR INSTRUCTIONS WERE THAT ALL 'PATRIOTIC NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEES'
VERE ELIGIBLE FOR VISITS.
IN ADDITION, THEY REPEATED CTHOUGH WITHOUT MUCH ARGUMENT) THE IR DEHAND
(0) TO DE ALLOWED TO BRING IN THE WORKS OF MAO AS GIFTS TO PRISONERS.
+
CONFIDENTI AL
/3. POLITICAL
ū
CONFIDENTIAL
- 2.
3. POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO REPORT THE SITUATIO!!
BACK. POINTS CA) AND (B) ABOVE WERE BASIC PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL MADE IN
PEKING AND WE HAD NO AUTHORITY TO DEPART FROM THEM IN HONG KONG. ON
POINT (C) WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO CIVE WAY.
4. ONLY A FEW OTHER MINOR POINTS ARE OUTSTANDING. NONA REPRESENT- ATIVES
WERE REASONABLE AND SEENED ANXIOUS TO SETTLE QUICKLY WITHOUT FURTHER
REFERENCE TO MFA. HOWEVER, THEY WILL NO DOUBT FEEL OBLIGED TO REPORT
BACK TO PEKING, AS THERE WAS OBVIOUS DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR TWO VIEWS
OF WHAT CONSTITUTED 'DETAILS' TO BE SETTLED HERE, AS WELL AS WHAT HAD
ALREADY BEEN SETTLED IN PEKING.
FO PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE PEKING AS MYTEL 124.
SIR D. TRE.CH
Į REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED FOR DEPARTMENTAL DECISION J
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CONFIDENTI AL
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(99) 2..
MEL
!
CYPHER/CAT A
INLEDIATE HONG KONG
To
TELNO 357
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
20 MARCH 1968
Java 1/2
FD1378
ADDRESSED TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 357 OF 20 MARCH REPEATED
FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 153 TO H.K.: PRISON VISITS.
WE AGREE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE ARE INSISTING ON A
MEMBER OF THE P.A.'S OFFICE BEING PRESENT DURING THE VISITS
PARTLY IN ORDER TO CLAIM A SIMILAR RIGHT WITH GREY, THOUGH
WE BELIEVE THE REQUEST PROBABLY ALSO HAD THE GENUINE AIN
CAS THE NONA REPRESENTATIVES TOLD US) OF AVOIDING MISUNDERSTANDINGS
AND ARGUMENTS AT THE ACTUAL TIME OF THE VISITS.
2. IT WOULD IN ANY CASE BE NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE A PRISON
L
WARDER IN ATTENDANCE-DURING NONA VISITS, TO GUARD AGAINST
HISBEHAVIOUR AS WELL AS PHOTOGRAPHY. THUS WE FEAR THAT CHINESE
WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY INSIST ON SIMILAR PRESENCE DURING ANY
VISIT TO GREY.
3. WE SHALL OFFER NONA AT LEAST 15 MINUTES PER PRISONER. THOUGH
CHINESE HAY INDEED RELATE THE LENGTH OF TIME OF NONA VISITS
DIRECTLY TO VISIT
VISIT TO GREY, TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME OF INDIVIDUAL
NCNA VISITS WOULD AMOUNT ON THE 15-MINUTE BASIS TO MORE THAN
TWO AND A HALF HOURS, AND THIS COULD PERHAPS BE USED TO COUNTER
THE CHINESE ARGUMENTS ON LINES PEKING SUGGEST.
FO PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE PEKING AS MYTEL 123.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED
FOR DEPARTMENTAL DECISION]
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:
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1
ני
་
Cypher/Cat A
CONFIDENTIAL
IMMEDIATE PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 225
CONFIDENTIAL
20 March 1968
تا
RECEIVED IN
982.
ARCHIVES No 31
30 APR 1968
F713/8
Ja parki
ра
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 225 of 20 March Repeated for
information to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong telegram No. 354: Prison Visits.
I agree for the time being at least we should maintain our position on
points in paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 of telegram under reference, I
agree concession on 1(b) would be dangerous. The request for gift of
Mao's works might be met by painting out that these can be sent under
normal rules for reading matter (if this is in fact the case. See Hong
Kong telegram No. 670 to me of 1967).
2. I agree that we should make definite proposal of a first visit on the
lines acceptable to us. I think it would be best to do this fairly soon
rather than to wait because of deportation issue. If NŒNA reject the
proposal I could go back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
re-affirming our readiness to arrange visits as stated at the interview
of 1 March and point out that NCNA are seeking to add new terms to
agreement reached in Peking.
Foreign Office please pass Hong Kong Immediate 157.
Sir D. Hopson
1.
97
[Repeated as requested)
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IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO 354
CONFIDENTIAL
19 MARCH 1968
ADDRESSED CO TELEGRAM NO. 354 OF 19TH MARCH RPTD PEKING.
MY TELEGRAM NO. 333.
RECEIVED IN
(ARCHIVES N6.31
30 Ark 1968
FD13/8
Apa 1/5
OF THE TWO POINTS CPARAGRAPH 3 OF NY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE)
RAISED BY N.C.N.A. WHICH RUN COUNTER TO WHAT WAS PROPOSED BY
H.M. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN PEKING,
(A) THE REQUEST FOR A LARGER NUMBER OF VISITORS COULD BE
MET BY CONCEDING THREE INSTEAD OF TWO (THIS IS THE NUMBER
THAT HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO VISIT COMMUNIST BANK EMPLOYEES) .
SEMICOLON
(B) VISITS TO GROUPS RATHER THAN INDIVIDUALS RAISES A SUBSTANTIAL
DIFFICULTY. TO CONCEDE THIS POINT WOULD SET US ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE
AND CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR PRISON AUTHORITIES.
97
2. SINCE THE FORMAL POSITION IS THAT MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE
SHOULD BE SETTLED IN PEKING AND DETAILS ONLY DISCUSSED IN HONG
KONG, I FEEL THAT FOR TIME BEING WE SHOULD MAINTAIN OUR POSITION
OM BOTH THESE POINTS. TO GIVE WAY ON (A) WOULD PREJUDICE OUR
POSITION ON (B).
3. IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FIND SATISFACTORY METHODS OF
HEETING NOST OF THE OTHER POINTS OF DETAIL, EXCEPT FOR THE REQUEST
ABOUT GIFTS TO PRISONERS. I AM VERY UNWILLING TO GIVE WAY ON THE
CONFIDENTIAL
:
I
I
1
|
H
مس
CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
??
CUESTION OF HAO'S WORKS SEMICOLON FOR THERE IS AN OBVIOUS RISK THAT THEY
WOULD BE USED FOR STAGING DEMONSTRATIONS IN PRISON.
PERMISSION TO PRESENT OTHER THINGS SUCH AS FOODSTUFFS ETC.
DOES RAISE THE QUESTION OF DISCRIMINATION IN AN ACUTE FORM
SEMICOLON AND I CAN SEE NO WAY OF MAKING CONCESSIONS ON THIS
POINT EITHER.
:
4. THERE MAY BE SOME ADVANTAGE IN LETTING THE DUST SETTLE ON THE
DEPORTATION ISSUE BEFORE RENEWING THESE DISCUSSIONS ON PRISON VISITS.
BUT I WOULD BE PREPARED TO ARRANGE ANOTHER MEETING
IN TWO OR THREE DAYS TIME AND THEN MAKE A DEFINITE PROPOSAL THAT A FIRST
VISIT CONDUCTED ON LINES ACCEPTABLE TO US SHOULD
TAKE PLACE AT A TIME THAT WE SHALL PROPOSE. WE WOULD TRY TO LEAVE THE
COMMUNISTS WITH THE ONUS OF ACCEPTING OR REJECTING THIS
PROPOSAL.
FO PLEASE PASS INMEDIATE PEKING AS TEL 122.
SIR D. TRENCH
(REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED FOR
DEPARTMENTAL DECISION]
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94
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE HONGKONG
COMITENTIAL
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
ELEGRAM NUMBER 393
15 MARCH 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 333 OF 15TH MARCH RFI PEKING.
95
RECEIVED" Itin
ES NO
50 R 1868
FD13/2
Ja pas
OUR TELEGRAM 314 : PRISON VISITS.
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