HOFO 36/13
PP F C O
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FM HONG KONG 136854Z
CONFIDENTIAL
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RECEPED IN
• ADVANCE COPY
RECASTRY NO. 51 €7.OCT 1976
HD FED
HD News D
Sec. Jie Cromit off
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 916 OF 13 SEPTEMBER
لف
INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (FCO PLEASE PASS).
DEATH OF CHAIRMAN MAO.
DURING CALL ON POLITICAL ADVISER THIS MORNING, NCNA SAID THAT MOURNING SERVICES WOULD BE HELD ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE BANK OF CHINA ON 16 AND 17 SEPTEMBER FROM 16 A.M. TO 5 P.M, TO RECEIVE
"FOREIGN FRIENDS AND CHINESE COMPATRIOTS WHO WISHED TO PAY
RESPECTS. THERE WOULD BE A BOOK OF CONDOLENCES FOR SIGNATURE. ABOUT 40,gy PEOPLE WERE EXPECTED TO CALL OVER THE TWO DAYS. ON 18 SEPTEMBER CHINESE SHIPS IN THE HARBOUR AND 'SEVERAL FACTORIES' WOULD SOUND THEIR SIRENS AT 4 P.M. (LOCAL TIME) TO COINCIDE WITH THE THREE MINUTES' SILENCE IN CHIMA. DURING
THE WEEK VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG WOULD BE HOLDING
MOURNING CEREMONIES:
2. POLITICAL ADVISER TOLD NCNA THAT I WOULD CALL TO SIGN THE BOOK UF CONDOLENCES AT THE BANK OF CHINA AND WOULD SEND A WREATH, HE ALSO INFORMED THEM THAT FLAGS WOULD AGAIN BE HALF-MASTED
ON ALL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ON 18 SEPTEMBER. UCNA EXPRESSED
APPRECIATION OF MARKS OF RESPECT SHOWN BY HONG KONC GOVERNMENT.
3. LCNA SPENT GREATER PART OF THEIR CALL DRAWING POLITICAL ADVISER'S ATTENTION TO ITEMS IN TWO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS EXPRESSING JOY AT THE
DEATH OF MAC AND WARNING AGAINST LIKELIHOOD OF KMT-INSPIRED ATTEMPTS
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