49. Mr. Alan Lee Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further representations Her Majesty's Government have made about British subjects detained in China; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RodgersI summoned the Chinese Charge d'Affaires on 24th May and raised individually the cases of all those persons we know or believe to have been detained, including the case of an officer of a British ship, Captain R. V. Pope of the "Fortune Wind", whose arrest in Tientsin on 17th May has recently been reported. I expressed most strongly our serious concern at the disgraceful failure of the Chinese Government to provide information about detained British subjects and to grant consular access to them; and I renewed the demand for information and access which I made on 5th April.
The British Charge d'Affaires in Peking is continuing to make regular representations about British subjects to the Chinese authorities there. He has already asked for consular access to Captain Pope and details of any charges against him.