CONFIDENTIAL
66 The Political Adviser and his Assistant have maintained contact
for rather longer. Again, the relationship has evolved slowly. The
extraordinary role and pervasive influence of NCNA, plus the fact that a
number of its staff are specifically charged to be in contact with the
Hong Kong Government, the Consular Corps and influential foreigners, has
made the news agency an obvious subject of concern to the Political
Adviser and the Hong Kong Government generally. Early indications of
NCNA's potential as a channel of communication between the Hong Kong
Government and the Chinese authorities in either Peling or Guangzhou
became evident during the disturbances in the Colony in 1967. For the
most part, the agency acted as a relay through which the CPG and the
Hong Kong Government made known to each other their views on the
situation. Normal diplomatic communications (such as protests and
explanations of action) continued to be served by contact between the
British Chargé d'Affaires and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Peking.
Nevertheless, there were occasions when contact between the Political
Adviser and officials of NCNA produced more concrete results. In July
1968 NCNA served as the channel of communication through which the Hong
Kong Government protested, and the "relevant authorities in Guangdong"
replied to the seizure by Chinese authorities of a number of Hong Kong-
registered fishing boats. Throughout 1968 the Political Adviser held
a series of meetings at the request of representatives of NCNA to discuss
prison visits to certain journalists serving sentences in Hong Kong for
their part. in the disturbances. The contacts afforded the Political
Adviser opportunities to voice the Hong Kong Government's views on such
matters as border incidents and the detention of British subjects in
China (notably Anthony Gray's detention). Although NCNA's frequent
reply was that such matters should be pursued with the authorities in
Guangzhou and Peking, it is clear that reports of the exchanges were
relayed by NCNA through the Chinese chain of command.
CONFT
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