Chinese Accost UK. Diplomat

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32164, 6 December 1969, Page 13

Chinese Accost UK. Diplomat

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) BRUSSELS, December 5. A Chinese crowd accosted, jostled and briefly detained Britain’s top envoy in Peking in an almost unprecedented diplomatic incident, the Associated Press reported.

The British Charge D’Affaires (Mr John Denson), sought and got police intervention, the informants said, and later protested to the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the incident, which occurred last week.

But Mr Denson, who is 43, was told in response to his complaint that perhaps he ought to consider confining himself to the compound of the British mission, the sources said. The incident was first reported in Brussels by officials attending the North Atlantic Council of Foreign Ministers. They presumably heard of it from their own representatives in Peking’s diplomatic colony, who, they said, were resentful and indignant about the incident British officials at the talks, however, declined all comment

As informants in Brussels understand what happened, Mr Denson was accosted in a public place by a group of citizens highly suspicious of foreigners. This, they said, appears to be a general mood among many Chinese at a time when the central government is emphasising the dangers of war with Russia. For the best part of two hours, the informants went on, Mr Denson was detained by the Chinese, whose numbers swelled as the minutes dragged on. The informants said they understood that Mr Denson had been jostled, but did not know whether he sustained actual injury. Eventually, after prolonged

and often angry argument, Mr Denson managed to get—or was taken—to a police station. It was then, the sources said, that he was able to identify himself. Subsequently the envoy took the matter up with the Foreign Ministry, but received little satisfaction. In London, an informed source said he understood that Britain was not treating the incident as a major diplomatic affair, although it viewed the event as regrettable.