AG/HOS/10/HOP - Donald Hopson (diplomat)

AG/HOS/10/HOP

Sub-file

Donald Hopson (diplomat)

1969-1970

2 Letters (MS)

Hopson writes from his new post as Ambassador to Venezuela. He had formerly been the British ambassador to China and was in Peking at the same time as AG. In his letter of 6/1/1970 he re-tells in detail the events of the days leading up to AG's arrest in July 1967; and the ultimatum he received in August to rescind the closing of the Communist newspapers in Hong Kong and release their editorial staff within 48 hours, or suffer the serious consequences. When he rejected this, the office of the British Charge d'affaires to China as set alight on 22 August 1967.

During the attack, a cigarette box had been trampled, soaked and burned in Hopson's office. He had it repaired in Hong Kong with an inscription 'This box having survived the Boxer Rebellion was damaged by Red Guards when they soaked and burned the office of the British Charge d'affaires in Peking on 22 August 1967'.

Hopson also describes visiting AG in April 1968, when he was under house arrest in Peking.

Hopson gives AG permission to include in his book some of the details from this letter.