CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1045
OF 090705Z APRIL 91
INFO PRIORITY UKREP LG HONG KONG
26
ا فعالانا
Нив зал
11 APR 1991
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
pa
49
063024
MDHIAN 1259
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 607: EXCHANGE OF LETTERS BETWEEN BBC WORLD SERVICE AND RTHK.
1. WE CONFIRM THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE HKG TO OBTAIN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPROVAL TO CONCLUDE THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT.
2. ON THE FACE OF IT, THE AGREEMENT SHOULD CAUSE THE CHINESE NO PROBLEM BECAUSE:-
(I) THE SERVICE HAS ALREADY BEEN IN OPERATION FOR SOME TIME, WITHOUT ATTRACTING ANY COMPLAINTS:
(II) THE WORLD SERVICE CAN BE RECEIVED IN BEIJING ON A SHORT-WAVE RADIO: AND
(III) THIS IS A PURELY CULTURAL MATTER OVER WHICH HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AUTONOMY ACCORDING TO THE JOINT DECLARATION.
3. HOWEVER, THERE CAN BE NO GUARANTEE THAT THE CHINESE WILL BE WILLING TO ALLOW A 24-HOUR BROADCAST FROM THE FORMER COLONIAL POWER TO CONTINUE IN THE SAR AFTER 1997. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE DEGREE OF SUSPICION WITH WHICH THEY THEN VIEW BRITISH MOTIVES IN RELATION TO HONG KONG. WHETHER OR NOT THEY AGREE TO THE RETENTION OF THE SHORT-WAVE RELAY STATION AT TSANG TSUI MAY ALSO BE RELEVANT, EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS NO DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE 24- HOUR WORLD SERVICE RELAY WITHIN HONG KONG.
4. WE HAVE NOT RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE CHINESE AND WOULD NOT WISH TO NOW. THIS WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO RAISE OBJECTIONS.
5. UKREP JLG CONCURS.
WILSON
YYYY
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