(46,
063647
MDLIAN 6167
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 1602
OF 290716Z AUGUST 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PARIS
45
нко HKD 306/2
TOP COPY
DIST ?
HONG KONG TELNO 2842 : FILM CENSORSHIP ''LES CHINOIS A PARIS'
1.
ALTHOUGH THIS FILM MAY APPEAR TO BE UNOBJECTIONALBLE IN OUR EYES, WE DOUBT WHETHER THE CHINESE POSSESS THAT BRAND OF SOPHISTICATED HUMOUR WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM TO SEE IT IN THE SAME LIGHT. AT A TIME OF HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY ABOUT DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN ATTITUDES TO THE PLA AND OF EXTREME SENSITIVITY ABOUT ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG WHICH MAY BE CONSTRUED AS BEING IN ANY WAY SUBVERSIVE, RELEASE OF THIS FILM MAY RUB SALT INTO WOUNDS.
2.
A DISTINCTION MAY BE DRAWN BETWEEN
LES CHINOIS A PARIS''
AND THE TWO FILMS ''PORTRAIT OF A FANATIC'' AND ''ON THE SOCIETY
FILE IN SHANGHAI THE RELEASE OF WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN AGREED.
THE LATTER TWO HAVE AN UNDERLYING THEME WITH WHICH THE CHINESE WOULD NOT DISAGREE, IE THE EXCESSES OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. THE FORMER DEBUNKS AN INSTITUTION, THE PLA, WHOSE PRESTIGE THEY ARE NOW SEEKING TO BUILD UP.
3. IN A NUMBER OF EXCHANGES SINCE 4 JUNE, WE HAVE EMPHASISED TO THE CHINESE THAT OUR RESPONSE TO EVENTS IN HONG KONG OF WHICH
THEY DISAPPROVE MUST BE BOUNDED BY THE LAW. THE RELEASE OF THIS
FILM COULD NOT BE DEFENDED AS AN OBLIGATORY ACT IN THE SAME SENSE
AND MIGHT MERELY STRENGTHEN SUSPICIONS IN PEKING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS ACTIVELY COLLUDING WITH THOSE WHO WISH
TO UNDERMINE THE PRESENT REGIME. AS SEEN FROM HERE, THEREFORE, THERE IS A CASE FOR BANNING THIS FILM, OR POSTPONING ITS RELEASE UNTIL THE PRESENT BICKERING ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND
THE RALLY ON 12 SEPTEMBER HAS ABATED.
DONALD
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL