fco-21-488-detention-of-anthony-grey — Page 15

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.50

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFJUL 1969

Tel No.587

=

24 July 1969

FEC 132.

UNCLASSIFIED

Addressed FCO telegram No.587 of 24 July, repeated for information to
Peking

Your telegram No.476. [Brooke and Grey cases].

I agree. We will act accordingly.

Sir D. Trench

FILES:

F.E.D.

E.E.S.D.

H.X.D.

P.U.S.D.

News Dept

Sir S. Tomlinson

Sir L. Monson

Sir T. Brimelow

P.S. to Lord Shepherd

P.U.S.

P.S.

SECRET

ADVANCE COPIES SENT:

908

pakoz0f7

TELEGRAM SECTION Room 124 K.C.S

Communications Department

TO:

FED

Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent

зду

Hong Kong 537 To FCO

لا

Box 500

4/0 R.203

PUSD

J.ST. (FEART)

(Signed).. (Department)..

Action taken in Communications Department:

(Initials)..

We

(Date)..

(Date). 24/7/65

AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE REGISTRY FOR
RETENTION

YTC/1

TO CO

***

5 IN

petes 3017

28 JUL 1969

EN CLAIR

PRIORITY WASHINGTON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2115

1 kc acti

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

25 JULY 1969

ADDRESSED TO FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 2115 OF 25/7 REPEATED FOR

INFORMATION SAVING TO PEKING AND HONGKONG.

ANTHONY GREY.

WASHINGTON POST OF 25 JULY AS A FOOTNOTE TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE RELEASE
OF THE SOVIET SPIES CONTAINS A REPORT, ASCRIBED TO REUTERS, THAT YOU HAD
TOLD NEWSMEN THAT BRITAIN HAD OFFERED TO RELEASE THIRTEEN PRO-PEKING
CHINESE NEWSMEN IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RETURN OF ANTHONY GREY. IT
CONCLUDES: QUOTE PEKING TURNED THE

OFFER DOWN, SAID STEWART UNQUOTE.

FCO PASS SAVING TO PEKING AND HONGKONG.

MR FREEMAN.

FILES

7.3.D.

H.K.D.

NEWS DEPT.

CONS DEFT.

I.R.D.

I.P.D.

!

1907

CYPHER/CAT'A'

ROUTINE HONG KONG

TEL NO 589

CONFIDENTIAL

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

24 JULY, 1969

(906)

pak070/7

CONFIDENTIAL

9044

ADDRESSED FCO AS MYTEL. NO. 589 OF 24TH JULY RFI PEKING.

MY TELEGRAM NO. 581: SPECIAL VISITS TO NEWSWORKERS.

THE VISITS TODAY TO THE NINE NEWSWORKERS IN STANLEY TOOK PLACE

WITHOUT INCIDENT AND ACCORDING TO THE USUAL PATTERN. THE VISITS

LASTED 40-50 MINUTES.

2.

VISITS TO THE TWO FEMALES IN LAI CHI KOK WILL TAKE PLACE

TOMORROW.

FCO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE PEKING.

SIR D. TRENCH

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

i

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F. EASTERN D.

CONS. D.

H.K.D.

I.P.D.

I.R.D.

NEWS DEPT.

CONFIDENTIAL

GGGGG

+

+

+

J

+

A

+

+

SECRET

CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TEL NUMBER 476

905

COF

TO HONG KONG

peko 3017

DATE 23 JULY

(F.E.D.)

FEC 134/1

SECRET.

ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 476 OF 23 JULY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO PEKING.

See aunex

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 566: THE BROOKE AND GREY CASES. BROOKE IS NOW DUE TO
ARRIVE IN THIS COUNTRY TOMORROW MORNING, 24 JULY. THE STATEMENT WILL BE
MADE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AT 3.30 P.M. (BST).

•

2. WE AGREE THAT IN COPING WITH ATTEMPTS TO LINK BROOKE AND GREY OUR
GENERAL LINE MUST BE THAT THE TWO CASES ARE BY NO MEANS STRICTLY
COMPARABLE. (INCIDENTALLY THE KROGERS ARE NOT BEING FORMALLY DEPORTED:
IT HAS BEEN AGREED WITH THE RUSSIANS THAT UPON THEIR RELEASE ON/24
OCTOBER. THE KROGERS, WILL BE FREE, TO GO TO ANY, DESTINATION OF THEIR
CHOICE). THE FOLLOWING FURTHER DEFENSIVE POINTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE USE IN THE HOUSE AFTER THE STATEMENT HAS BEEN MADE..

+

(A) - THE SOLUTION OF THE GREY CASE BY AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY GREY
RETURNED TO THE U.K., AND THE NEWSWORKERS IN PRISON IN HONG KONG
RETURNED TO CHINA WAS NOT OPEN TO US. IT BECAME OBVIOUS AT AN EARLY
STAGE THAT A SOLUTION OF THIS TYPE WAS QUITE UNACCEPTABLE TO THE
CHINESE.

(B) WE HAVE NO LESS CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF GREY THAN FOR THAT OF
BROOKE. HOWEVER, IN THE CASE OF GREY IT NOW SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THE
CHINESE WILL DELAY HIS RELEASE ONCE THE NEWSWORKERS HAVE COMP- LETED
THEIR SENTENCES BY EARLY OCTOBER: AND UNLIKE BROOKE, GREY IS KNOWN TO BE
IN REASONABLY GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS.

(C) THE PREMATURE RELEASE IN HONG KONG OF THE NEWSWORKERS WOULD HAVE
INVOLVED INTERFERENCE WITH THE JUDICIAL PROCESSES WHICH MIGHT HAVE
UNDERMINED LOCAL CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG,

3. WE MAY WELL BE ASKED SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE PRESS WHETHER WE ARE STILL
UNWILLING TO CONTEMPLATE AN EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS IN HONG KONG

SECRET

/FOR GREY

[

SECRET

2

FOR GREY (OR INDEED FOR OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS IN DETENTION). YOU WILL
RECALL THAT IN HIS COMMUNICATION TO CHEN YI AT THE END OF AUGUST 1967 MR
GEORGE BROWN OFFERED TO TRY TO ARRANGE THE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG TO
CHINA OF THE NEWSWORKERS IN RETURN FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT GREY AND OTHER
BRITISH SUBJECTS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE CHINA, THOUGH THE TEXT OF
THIS LETTER HAS NEVER BEEN PUBLIC, REUTERS AND OTHERS DIRECTLY INVOLVED
IN THE GREY CASE ARE AWARE THAT IT CONTAINED WHAT WAS IN EFFECT AN OFFER
OF AN EXCHANGE. ACCORDINGLY, IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL IF IT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE TO TAKE WITH THE PRESS PRECISELY THE LINE IN THE LAST
SENTENCE OF YOUR PARAGRAPH 4. INDEED, SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE THINK
THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADVANTAGE IN REFERRING ''ON THE RECORD** IN
GENERAL TERMS TO MR BROWN'S COMMUNICATION AND SUBSEQUENT OFFICIAL
DEMARCHES. (NO REFERENCE WOULD OF COURSE BE MADE TO THE COVERT
DISCUSSIONS). WE MIGH TAKE THE LINE THAT AS EARLY AS AUGUST 1967 MR
BROWN INDICATED TO THE CHINESE HIS READINESS TO TRY TO ARRANGE, THE
RELEASE TO CHINA OF THE NEWSWORKERS IN RETURN FOR AN UNDERTAKING THAT
GREY AND OTHER BRITISH SUBJECTS WOULD BE FREE TO RETURN TO THE UK. THIS
WOULD HAVE BEE A JUSTIFIABLE USE OF THE PREROGATIVE." THE CHINESE
HOWEVER

+

HAD NEVER TÅKEN OUR OFFER UP. MOREOVER IN THE DEALINGS WHICH OUR MISSION
IN PEKING HAD WITH THEM SUBSEQUENTLY IT WAS MADE QUITE CLEAR THAT
NOTHING LESS THAN THE UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS IN HONG
KONG WOULD SATISFY THE CHINESE.

4. IF THE MATTER IS RAISED BY THE CHINESE THEMSELVES THROUGH CATER, WE
AGREE WITH THE LINE YOU PROPOSE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 3.

STEWART.

FILE S

F.E.D.

1

P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD

P.S. TO P.U.S.

SIR S. TOMLINSON

SIR L. MONSON

SIR T. BRIMELOW

E.E.S.D.

H.K. DEPT.

P.U.S.D.

NEWS DEPT

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

BROOKER CASE

FFFFF

SECRET

1

Registry No.

DEPARTMENT

FED

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

торбести

Secret

Restricted Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

xx

SECRET

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

esach addressee(s)

PRIORITY MARKINGS (Date)

Aash

Immediate

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Despatched

23/1

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[Security_classification]

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Mark T....

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SECRET

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- INZI

Xxx

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Code

Cypher

Draft Telegram to:

son

No.

Sort Kong

476

(Date) 23.7

And to:-

EXAMINI

SIGNATURE (X27.

Repeat 10:-

Peking

Saving to:-

Formally

Distribution:- Files

FED

Copies to Private Secretari Mr. Godden Mr. Baker C,

The Schaye

Sir S. Tomlinson

gir L. Monson

Sir T. Brimelow

HONG KONG

HathiT

23 July

Addressed to

telegram N........

476

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And to

(MNINO-

repeated for information to

Saving to....

JIILLI............ FILIPI-----

PEKING

Makan PH

Your telegram No. 566: The Brooke and Grey cases.

Brooke is now due to arrive in this country

tomorrow morning, 24 July. The statement will be made in the House of
Commons at 3.30 p.m. (BST).

2.

We agree that in coping with attempts to link

Brooke and Grey our general line must be that the two

cases are by no means strictly comparable. (Incidentally

formally

the Krogers are not being/deported; it has been agreed

with the Russians that upon their release on 24 October

the Krogers will be free to go to any destination of their choice.) The
following further defensive points

have been prepared for possible use in the House after

the statement has been made.

لحسرة

Am arranz Ranent

(a) The solution of the Grey case by means of

colereby Frey refused to the UK, Our exšhanging him for one or several
of the

refumed to China

учился вели

newaworkers in/Hong Kong/was not open

to us.

It

became obvious at an early stage tha tesolution

EESD

HKD

FUSD

News Dept!

/of

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

WEBL 51-7406

SECRET

of this type was quite unacceptable to

the Chinese.

(b) We have no less concern for the

welfare of Grey than for that of

Brooke. However, in the case of Grey

it now seems unlikely that the Chinese

will delay his release once the news-

workers have completed their sentences

by early October; and unlike Brooke,

Grey is known to be in reasonably good

health and spirits.

un fans thans

(c) The premature release of the news - workers/would have involved
interference

with the judicial processes which might

have undermined local confidence in

Hong Kong.

3. We may well be asked subsequently by the

press whether we are still unwilling to

contemplate an exchange of prisoners in Hong

Kong for Grey (or indeed for other British

subjects in detention). You will recall that

in his communication to Chen Yi at the end of

August 1967 Mr. George Brown offered to try to

arrange the departure from Hong Kong to China

of the newsworkers in return for an assurance

that Grey and other British subjects would be

allowed to leave China. Though the text of

this letter has never been public, Reuters and

others directly involved in the Grey case are

aware that it contained what was in effect an

offer of an exchange. Accordingly, it seems

doubtful if it would be appropriate to take with

the press precisely the line in the last

sentence of your paragraph 4. Indeed, subject

to your views, we think that there might be some

advantage in referring "on the record" in

SECRET

/general

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

WOOL 51-7406

X

SECRET

general terms to Mr. Brown's communication and

subsequent official démarches. (No reference

would of course be made to the covert

discussions). We might take the line that as

early as August 1967 Mr. Brown indicated to the

Chinese his readiness to try to arrange the

release to China of the newsworkers in return

for an undertaking that Grey and other British

subjects would be free to return to the UK,

would have beam

This was a Justifiable use of the prerogative.

The Chinese however had never taken our offer up.

Moreover in the dealings which our Mission in

Peking had with them subsequently it was made

quite clear that nothing less than the

unconditional release of the prisoners in

Hong Kong would satisfy the Chinese.

4. If the matter is raised by the Chinese

themselves through Cater, we agree with the

line you propose in your paragraph 3.

SECRET

23 July

A

REGISTRY

No.

L

REPETATION OF TELEGRAMS

DSY 33

(Date)

(Despatched)

3

За

(1) OUTWARD TELEGRAM SECTION,

D.S.A.O.

Please repeat to the posts shown below telegram No.

from/se

لها

FC of Hong Kong.

Waskylagton 1666

+

476

dated

า

No. 1

Date... 267

+

23 July

---

++

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Flash

(Signed)

En Chair

Immediate

(Dept.)

1920

Pnority

(Date)

Cypher

Routine

T

-----

I am cow

FEJ

26 Jul 1164

(2) DEPARTMENT CONCERNED (for Archives) FED

Security classification.

(For use in Communications Department)

SECRET

WASHING Tone Clegram No...

Addressed to..

and to

Following telegram now repeated to you at request of ...........

was

received from

1666

of

26/2

Department

-,

of

July 23

Gov Hong Kong telegram No. 4...7.....

sent to EXAMINED AT 26.11.1021

SIGNATURE Peltill.

There isert from A to B of attached telegram]

WAP14926-765 392352/353458 100 pada 8/68 Grp 719

TELEGRAM SECTION

pom 124 K.C.S

Communications Department

TO:

FED

Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent

Fco 476 To Hong Kong.

Вох это

る

R 203

PUR ST (FAPT)

(Signed).. (Department). (Date)..

Action taken in Communications Department:

(Initials)..

عليا

(Date) .. 24/. 7/6.5.

24/7/60.$......

AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE REGISTRY FOR
RETENTION

YTC/1

1

CONFIDENTIAL

904

TOP COPY

CYPHER CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 581

CONFIDENTIAL.

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

23 JULY 1969.

DRESSED TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 581 OF 23
JULY REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.

24 JUL 1967

PEKING TELEGRAM 403 TO YOU: SPECIAL VISITS TO NEWSWORKERS.

Ke 134/1

равно

pa 2017

NCNA CONTACTED POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE YESTERDAY AND SAID THAT THEY
WISHED TO PAY SPECIAL VISITS TO THE 11 NEWS WORKERS

IN STANLEY AND LAICHIKOK. THREE VISITORS WOULD SPEND 40 MINUTES WITH
EACH PRISONER AND THE VISITS WOULD TAKE PLACE ON TWO SEPARATE DAYS AS
BEFORE. THE N C N A SUGGESTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK FOR THE
VISITS.

2. WE HAVE INFORMED # CNA THAT WE AGREE TO THIS PROPOSAL. THE ONLY
CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME IS IN THE LENGTH OF THE VISITS BUT AS GREY WAS
ALLOWED 45 MINUTES AND AS THE NEWSWORKERS

IN FACT HAD NEARLY 40 MINUTES EACH IN NOVEMBER IT WOULD BE

UNREASONABLE TO ARGUE THE POINT NOW.

3. RELAXED APPROACH CONTRASTS WITH NOVEMBER WHEN THREE MEETINGS WERE
NECESSARY BEFORE ARRANGEMENTS WERE AGREED. THIS AND THE LATENESS OF THE
REQUEST SUGGESTS THAT NCNA ARE MERELY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AS A
QUID PRO QUO FOR THE GREY VISIT.

F.C.O. PASS PRIORITY TO PEKING,

SIR D. TRENCH.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F. EAST. DEPT.

CONSULAR DEPT.

H.K. DEPT.

I.P.D.

I.R.D.

NEWS DEPT.

FFFFF

CONFIDENTIAL

Cypher/Cat A

SECRET

TOP COPY

1902

+5p

FEL

PEKING TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Telno 424

22 July, 1969

CRET

:

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.50

24 JUL 1969 017

KC

Addressed to FCO telegram :0.424 of 22 July, Reve tea

for information to Hong Kong.

See aument

Hong Kong telegram No.566: Brooke and Grey cases.

I agree with paragraph 5 of telegram under reference.

For this reason release of newsworkers a few weeks earlier than planned