CONFIDENTIAL
10
131647
MDHIAN 0329
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1851
OF 08043OZ JUNE 91
HKE OGI /1
ハ
02 JUL.95.
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG.
@
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 164: STATUE OF DEMOCRACY.
ГОР СОРУ COPY
Q DIST?
1. IN ANY FURTHER CONTACTS IN PEKING ON THIS MATTER, THE EMBASSY MIGHT MAKE THE POINT THAT THE MFA DO NOT APPEAR TO BE WELL- INFORMED ON WHAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN HAPPENING IN HONG KONG. THE FACTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
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(A) WU MENG-WU LEFT HONG KONG OF HIS OWN ACCORD ON 5 JUNE, IE BEFORE THE MFA DEMARCHE. THIS WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS. HIS VISIT MADE LITTLE IMPRESSION HERE. WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING MORE OF THE KEY-RING STATUETTES.
(B) OUR CUSTOMS HAD NO POWER TO PREVENT THE IMPORTATION INTO HONG KONG OF THE STATUE OF DEMOCRACY (MY TELEGRAM NO. 1789). DESPITE WHAT ZHAO JIHUA SAID, THE STATUE FELL FULL-SQUARE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF OUR LAWS ON THE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF COMMODITIES. IT WAS RELEASED TO THE CONSIGNEE ON 6 JUNE (MY TELEGRAM NO. 1821). ON 5 JUNE, HE TOLD CUSTOMS THAT HE WISHED TO SHIP THE STATUE BACK TO TAIWAN. THE STATUE HAS NOT BEEN DISPLAYED IN HONG KONG. (FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, WE ARE TRYING TO MONITOR WHAT NOW HAPPENS TO THE STATUE, TO CHECK THAT IT DOES LEAVE.)
2. THE LEVEL AT WHICH CHINESE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE IS INTERESTING. LAST YEAR, A VICE-DIRECTOR OF NCNA, QIAO ZONGHUAI, CALLED TO COMPLAIN TO US CHE ASKED TO SEE THE CHIEF SECRETARY, BUT WAS RECEIVED BY THE POLITICAL ADVISER). THIS YEAR, OTHER THAN A SHORT PHONE CALL TO THE PA ON THE NIGHT OF 2 JUNE FROM THE HEAD OF NCNA'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO THE DEPUTY
POLITICAL ADVISER. I NOTE ALSO THAT TIAN ZENGPEI DID NOT RAISE THE ISSUE WITH ROBIN MCLAREN.
WILSON
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