PP HONG KONG
GRS 329
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 121800Z JUNE 81
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
торсору
TELEGRAM NUMBER 539 OF 12TH JUNE 1981
INFO PRIORITY PEXING
!
PSE 1931
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arraust with Cos for reply future Jutust fels on this subject
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tols
BBC EXTERNAL SERVICES: PROPOSED RELAY STATION IN HONG KONG
1. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BBC DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU AND HADDON-CAVE DURING HIS RECENT VISIT TO HONG KONG.
SIR IAN TRETHONAN RAISED THE MATTER WITH GORDON LENNOX HERE ON
5 JUNE. HOWARD SEEMS TO HAVE GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT, IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD BE CONVINCED THAT A RELAY STATION WOULD BE IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST AND WOULD IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH CHINA, THEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED TO PAY PART OR ALL OF THE COSTS INVOLVED (INCLUDING BOTH THE INSTALLATION AND THE LAND). IS THIS AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF HOWARD'S DISCUSSIONS? 2. MINISTERS HAVE JUST AGREED AN OUTLINE FOR A NEW CAPITAL PROGRAMME FOR THE BBC EXTERNAL SERVICES, BUT DETAILS STILL NEED
TO BE WORKED OUT, WE DO NOT THEREFORE WISH TO GO FURTHER INTO
FINANCE AT THIS STAGE. BUT IT SEEMS PRUDENT TO CONSIDER THE
POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE SCHEME.
3. IN GENERAL WE FAVOUR THE SCHEME BECAUSE MORE EFFECTIVE BBC COVERAGE OF CHINA (AND JAPAN AND KOREA) IS A WORTHWHILE OBJECTIVE. THERE ARE HOWEVER TWO WORRIES. FIRSTLY THERE COULD
BE CRITICISM OF SUCH PUBLIC EXPENDITURE BY HMG WHILE THE LEASE
PROBLEM REMAINS UNRESOLVED. BUT THIS IS A RISK WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD ACCEPT. IT IS NO WORSE THAN MANY OF THE OTHER SIMILAR
PROBLEMS, EG CASTLE PEAK. IT WOULD HOWEVER BE AN EXPRESSION OF
CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
4. THE SECOND CONCERNS THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION ARE LIKELY TO BE RELAXED. CERTAINLY THE BBC BELIEVE THEY ARE. BUT THE CHINESE ATTITUDE COULD CHANGE. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH WOULD BE TO ASK THE CHINESE NOW IF THEY HAD ANY OBJECTION. WE ARE HOWEVER NOT VERY KEEN ON THAT IDEA, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. PROBABLY IT WOULD BE BETTER SIMPLY TO
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CONFIDENTIAL