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GRS 200
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
view?
acher please.
快
2119
HKK0402
RECEIVED IN AEGISTRY
20 SEP 1983
DECK OFFICE INDEX
блатовет
23
FROM:- T W M SMITH ESQ., PEKING
3/3
FILE REF NIL DATED 19 SEPTEMBER 1983
TURS
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FOLLOWING FOR
W MORRIS ESQ., (HONG KONG DEPT ECO
See
COPIED TO :-
P WEBB ESQ., APA, HONG KONG
20
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HONG KONG TEL NOS 1371 AND 1973:
FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
PRESS COVERAGE
1, THE NONA DESPATCH REFERRED TO IN PARA 1 OF FIRST TUR WAS CARRIED IN FOUR CHINESE NEWSPAPERS: PEOPLE'S DAILY, GUANGMING DAILY AND WORKER'S DAILY OF 16 SEPTEMBER, AND CHINA DAILY(ENGLISH LANGUAGE) OF 17 SEPTEMBER.
THE ENGLISH VERSION WAS ALSO CARRIED IN NCA'S ENGLISH SUMMARY OF BULLETINS ON 17 SEPTEMBER.
2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION WAS MISLEADINGLY TRANSLATED. UNDER THE HEADLINE ''BRITISH POLL IN HONG KONG HYPOCRISY, PRESS SAYS IT MENTIONED A POPULAR FEELING POLL STAGED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES. THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT A SPECIFIC EXERCISE HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THE ORIGINAL CHINESE HOWEVER REFERRED ONLY TO THE PLAYING OF THE PUBLIC OPINION CARD BY THE BRITISH, AS REPORTED IN FIRST TUR. IT MENTIONED THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD. LAUNCHED A MOVEMENT TO GATHER ''PUBLIC OPINION', BUT MADE NO SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A POLL AS SUCH.
COMMENT
3. A MISTRANSLATION AS GROSS AS THIS IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL, BUT !
DO NOT ATTACH ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO IT. THE INTENTION
OF THE ARTICLES WAS CLEARLY TO ATTACK ON GENERAL DEPLOYMENT
OF THE PUBLIC OPINION ARGUMENT RATHER THAN ANY SPECIFIC ACT.
SIGNED.
T SMITH
NNNN