HKE
020/1
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From: W B McCleary
Far Eastern Department K276 270 2949
пед
MR MCLAREN
Date: 18 September
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CC: Mr Whitehead, News Dept
Mr Hird, Information Dept Mr Stone,
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HKD
TAIWAN: CONTACT BETWEEN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY, JOURNALIST IN LONDON, THE FCO AND THE COI
1.
Two
Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) has recently assigned a new journalist, Mr Chen Jen-jey, to London. separate requests have been made for him to be treated on a par with other foreign correspondents in London:
he would like to be included in the London Correspondents' Service (LCS) mailing list for publications and news releases. This would probably lead to his seeking inclusion in the LCS' facility visits and other programmes, and would automatically make him eligible to join the Foreign Press Association.
he would like access to the press conferences and briefings given by FCO News Department.
2. The CNA is a private non-official company which is not, in strict legal terms, attached to the Taiwan governmental machinery (although in practice it is owned and is controlled by the KMT). CNA journalists in Hong Kong are treated by the Government Information Service there like any other journalists, receiving hand-outs and faxes and invitations to Government events. Hong Kong are not aware
of the NCNA ever having complained about this.
3. Both Peking and Hong Kong are content for us to accede to the requests and I believe we should do so. If the Chinese were to protest, which seems improbable, we could respond by pointing out the non-governmental nature of the CNA and that we were simply treating Chen as we would any other journalist in London.
CH1ACC
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W B McCleary
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