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PP HONG KONG
GR 300
CONFIDENTIAL
V
FM FCO 281619Z JUL 81
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NO 627 OF 28 JUL
ATTN: DIS (MR JOHNSTON)
НИК ого
30 JUL 1981
PA
6
30
REGISTRY Acrion Tuken
ls 4307 $139
''COLDEST WINTER IN PEKING'' : THE ADVERTISED MIDNIGHT PREMIERE OF THIS TAIWAN-PRODUCED FILM, WHICH WAS TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THE ODEON, LEICESTER SQUARE, ON SUNDAY, JULY 26TH, WAS CANCELLED FOLLOWING PRESSURE ON THE DISTRIBUTOR, MR. LAWRENCE
LEUNG, AND THE TWO COMPANIES, RANK AND EMI, WHOSE CINEMAS
WERE TO SHOW THE FILM.
2. MR LEUNG HAD ALSO ARRANGED PUBLIC SCREENINGS OF THE FILM AT THE HONG KONG CINEMA IN SOHO (FOR SEVEN DAYS) AND AT GLASGOW, MANCHESTER, LIVERPOOL, LEEDS, NEWCASTLE AND BIRMINGHAM BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER. ALL OF THE REGIONAL SHOWINGS WERE TO BE ONE-NIGHT STANDS. THERE WAS ADVANCE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE FILM AMONG THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN THE U.K. THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBILLS AND ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE EUROPEAN
EDITION OF SING TAO.
3. THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN LONDON, AT A QUITE SENIOR LEVEL, BECAME INVOLVED IN THE MOVES TO HAVE THE PROPOSED SHOWINGS OF THE FILM STOPPED. EMBASSY OFFICIALS APPROACHED THE FCO, MR LEUNG AND THE CINEMA OWNERS REQUESTING THAT THE FILM BE WITHDRAWN.
THEY WERE SUPPORTED BY LOCAL LEFTIST CHINESE COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
IN THE U.K. REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE ORGANISATIONS ALSO APPROACHED THE HK GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON ASKING IT TO TAKE ACTION TO
HAVE THE SHOWINGS BANNED.
4. ALTHOUGH BOTH MR. LEUNG AND THE CINEMA COMPANIES IN
THE END BOWED TO PRESSURE AND WITHDREW THE FILM MR. LEUNG,
WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE SPENT 80,000 HK DOLLARS SECURING THE RIGHTS TO THE FILM, IS STILL TRYING TO WORK OUT WAYS OF SHOWING THE FILM IN THIS COUNTRY AT A LATER DATE.
5. THE LINE TAKEN BY THE FCO THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN THAT IT IS NOT WITHIN HMG'S POWER TO BAN THE FILM. THEY HAVE SIMPLY OFFERED THEIR OPINION THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF THE FILM WERE NOT SHOWN. WE UNDERSTAND SCOTLAND YARD WAS ALSO APPROACHED. IT ALSO TOOK A SIMILAR LINE: THAT IT HAD NO POWER TO BAN THE FILM, BUT IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC ORDER IT WOULD PREFER THAT IT NOT BE SHOWN.
6. SO FAR THE INCIDENT HAS RECEIVED NO PUBLICITY IN THE MEDIA
HERE.
CARRINGTON