HOFO 013/11
TT FCO
T/L PEKING
GPS 500
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SECRET
SECRET
TELELETTER
MKK040
RECEIVED IN ACGISTRY
5 AUG 1983
FROM:
R.P. MARGOLIS
POX
ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG
FILE NO: TS 2/3571/83
DATED: 9TH AUGUST 1983
TO:
R.D. CLIFT ESQ.,
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO
CC:
M ELLIOT ESQ
See (454) Sex (477)
Sex $78)
(419)
FED FCO
A.C. GALSWORTHYESQ
H.M. EMBASSY
PEK ING
NEW DIRECTOR OF NCNA HONG KONG, MR. XU JIATUN
MR. XU JIATUN HAS NOW BEEN HERE FOR A LITTLE OVER A MONTH. DURING THIS TIME, HE HAS BEEN ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY IN THE LIMELIGHT. HE PAID A COURTESY CALL ON THE GOVERNOR ON 8 JULY AND WAS ENTERTAINED TO DINNERY BY THE GOVERNOR ON 4 AUGUST. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE CONVERSATION WAS CONFINED TO GENERALITIES AND EXPRESSIONS OF HOPE THAT THE GOOD COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE NCNA WOULD CONTINUE. XU WAS VERY AFFABLE AND FRIENDLY ON BOTH OCCASIONS AND MADE NO ATTEMPT AT THE DINNER TO
DISCUSS THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE. WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD WHAT
WAS DISCUSSED AT A DINNER GIVEN BY DR MA LIN OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY
FOR XU AT WHICH SIR S.Y, CHUNG, LYDIA DUNN AND Q.W. LEE WERE
PRESENT, BUT WE HOPE TO GET AN ACCOUNT OF THIS SHORTLY. (XU HIMSELF
STIMULATED THE INVITATION FROM DR MA LIN VIA AN INTERMEDIARY). 2. APART FROM THE RECEPTION GIVEN BY NONA AND REPORTED IN OUR
TELNO 1037, XU HAS BEEN FOLLOWING A HEAVY SCHEDULE OF VISITS.
THESE HAVE INCLUDED A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNIST
BURPECTED HIERARCHY, AS WAS TO BE EXPRESSED. HE HAS INVITED MEDIA REPRESENT- ATIVES TO MEET HIM AND HAS CALLED ON TVB WHERE HE WAS RECEIVED IN
THE BOARDROOM BY SIR RUN RUN SHAW, THE CHAIRMAN. THERE HAVE ALSO
BEEN MEETINGS WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH FAMILY CONNECTIONS WITHIN
THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP, NOTABLY THE DAUGHTER OF FORMER DEFENCE
MINISTER GENG BIAO, THE SON OF POLITBURO MEMBER FANG YI, AND A
NIECE OF THE LATE LIAO CHENGHZI. XU ALSO SAW R.C. LEE IN HOSPITAL
SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH. HE HAS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO GIVE THE
IMPRESSION OF AFFABILITY AND INTEREST IN HONG KONG AFFAIRS.
3. EVERY TIME XU HAS APPEARED IN PUBLIC HE HAS BEEN BESIEGED BY
THE PRESS. UNTIL THE VISIT TO THE KOWLOON WALLED CITY REPORTED IN
OUR TELEGRAM NO 1168, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT XU WAS DELIBERATELY SEEKING TO MAKE A SPLASH. BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE ATTENTION
PAID TO HIM, AND THE IMPRESSION WHICH SOME PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE FORMED OF AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF POWER IN HONG KONG WOULD NOT HAVE DISPLEASED HIM, BUT THE PUBLICITY WHICH THE WALLED CITY VISIT
ATTRACTED WAS CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED AND CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE OBSESSIVE DESIRE OF THE LOCAL PRESS TO FIND THINGS TO SAY
EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO HARD NEWS. NCNA DID NOT INVITE THE PRESS TO
COVER THE VISIT, BUT ARRANGED FOR A CHINA NEWS SERVICE DESPATCH TO
BE ISSUED AFTER THE EVENT GIVING DETAILS OF MR XU'S REACTIONS TO
CONDITIONS IN THE WALLED CITY. A NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS AND THE
TELEVISION STATIONS WERE ALERTED BY NCNA TO THE CHINA NEWS SERVICE
DESPATCH IN ORDER TO ENSURE PROMINENT COVERAGE. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS
COMMENTED UNFAVOURABLY ON THIS AT THE MEETING OF EXCO ON 9 AUGUST.
4. XU'S VISIT TO THE WALLED CITY HAS TRIGGERED OFF A NUMBER OF
PRESS ENQUIRIES AND-DEMANDS FOR A REACTION. ON THE RECORD, WE HAVE DECLONED TO COMMENT ON XU'S MOTIVATION AND HAVE TAKEN THE LINE THAT
MR XU IS WELCOME TO VISIT ALL PLACE OF INTEREST IN HONG KONG. WE
HAVE ALSO DRAWN ATTENTION TO THE GOVERNMENT'S RECORD OF ATTEMPTS TO
IMPROVE LIVING STANDARDS IN THE WALLED CITY OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
OFF THE RECORD, WE HAVE SOUGHT TO CORRECT GENTLY THE USUAL MYTH
ABOUT THE WALLED CITY BEING UNDER CHINESE CONTROL.
5. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT THE WALLED CITY VISIT MAY POSSIBLY BE
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW PHASE IN THE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. XU IS
SAID TO BE HAVING REGULAR MEETINGS WITH BANK OF CHINA OFFICIANS,
UNION LEADERS AND SCHOOLS. HE IS ALSO SAID TO BE ABOUT TO MAKE MORE
VISITS OF A MEET THE PEOPLE NATURE'' INCLUDING A VISIT TO A
SQUATTER AREA AND PERHAPS A HOUSING ESTATE. WE SHALL OF COURSE BE
WATCHING THIS AND REPORTING ANY TREND WHICH SEEMS TO BE EMERGING.
SIGNED: R.P. MARGOLIS
NNNN
CCN GR COUNT SHOULD BE GR 508