ค
RESTRICTED
GR 200
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 290759Z JUL 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 827 OF 29 JULY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
HKK026/5
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA : ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE HONG KONG
PRESS.
PuertB
to
copied Miss Howlett
WE HAVE HEARD THAT MANY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, AS WELL AS THE TV AND
RADIO STATIONS, INTEND TO SEND REPORTERS TO PEKING TO COVER THE VISIT. LOCAL JOURNALISTS OF CHINESE RACE MAY ENTER CHINA FREELY ON PRC ISSUED HOME VISIT PERMITS. THE (EXPATRIATE) NEWS EDITOR OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST HAS ALSO ENQUIRED ABOUT ACCREDITION AS A MEMBER OF THE OFFICIAL PRESS PARTY.
د
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2. HONG KONG JOURNALISTS HAVE A LIGITIMATE INTEREST IN COVERING
THE VISIT. SINCE THERE IS NO WAY OF PREVENTING THEM FROM APPEARING IN PEKING, IT WOULD SEEM ADVISABLE TO HAVE THEM PROPERLY ACCREDITED. IF THE CHINESE ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT A REASONABLE
ARTY FROM HONG KONG, WE COULD ORGANIZE POOLING ARRANGEMENTS AND KEEP THE NUMBERS DOWN. THE ALTERNATIVE IS A DISORGANIZED AND
DISGRUNTLED HORDE WHOM THE CHINESE WILL NO DOUBT TREAT IN A
FAIRLY PEREMPTORY FASHION. THIS COULD LEAD TO ENDLESS AND UNNECESSARY
GRUMBLES ABOUT DISCRIMINATION WITH UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES-FOR-
HE PRESS COVERAGE OF THE PRIME MINISSTR'S VISIT TO HONG KONG.
3. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, PERHAPS PEKING COULD TAKE THIS UP
WITH THE MFA.
HADDON-CAVE
120
see (126A
156
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NEWS D
PCD HARD MRDONALD
RESTRICTED
THIS TELEGRAM
WAS NOT ADVANCED
му