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274
YKK 02612
WECEIVED ', MEGISTRY
25 JUN 1986
INDEX
***
J Ashton Esq
FED
FCO
KY
Tuken
AGB 2016
Dear John,
Large Dr Wilson
HKD
Mridasehold
Mr
Orr
British Embassy
PEKING
13 June 1986
as to
ра
simply 15 glance. He's visit reported in full and friendly terms in chuere prem,
be expected, some emphasis on His remarks. Supporting W. European unity/
independence, Parsing reference. 15 HK. Apparently no
prominence given to Li Peng.
VISIT OF HU YAOBANG: COVERAGE BY THE CHINESE PRESS
•
1. Hu Yaobang's visit to Britain was front page news in the People's Daily, the main Communist Party newspaper, from 9 to 12 June. Extensive coverage was also given by the English language China Daily. The other main national Chinese language newspapers carried briefer excerpts from the New China News Agency reports on which the People's Daily coverage was based, but some also published atmospheric pieces from their own London correspondents.
2.
RA
Scene setting articles were published in Guangming (the intellectual/artistic paper) and Economic Daily on 6 June each slanted towards their particular audience, Guangming Daily concentrating on the warm welcome Hu would receive and Economic Daily on how the visit would renew impetus to economic cooperation. People's Daily's own scene setter from its London correspondent appeared on 8 June. Its opening paragraph quoted the Prime Minister on the importance the British Government attached to developing economic and trade relations with China. The People's Daily also published two descriptive articles one on Wales and the other on Oxford.
3. People's Daily of 9 June reported Hu's arrival on the front page, and quoted him as saying that his objectives were "to improve understanding, strengthen friendship, expand cooperation and safeguard peace". A further scene setter on an inside page referred to the common or similar views on many international issues held by China and Western Europe, approved of Western Europe's moves towards strengthening its unity and independence, and spoke of the great improvements in relations between China and Western Europe. An interview with Sir Richard Evans was published in China Daily on 9 June.
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