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FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 234
OF 040903Z MARCH 91
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Hinco10/1
1 MAR 1991
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
122455 MDLIAN 2618
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
15,
NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO, STATE COUNCIL.
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1 A CHINESE JOURNALIST CONTACT HAS TOLD US THAT CHEN ZIYING HAS BEEN APPOINTED DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL. THE JOURNALIST SAID THAT A SUCCESSOR AT THE MFA HAD NOT YET BEEN NAMED. WE ASSUME THAT CHEN'S APPOINTMENT WILL BE RATIFIED DURING THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE
NPC.
2. WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A CONVERSATION WITH MME FENG CUI, FIRST SECRETARY HKMAO, MFA, TO ASK IF SHE COULD CONFIRM THE REPORT. SHE REPLIED THAT SHE WAS NOT (NOT) ABLE TO CONFIRM IT AT THIS STAGE BUT WOULD ''BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER''
COMMENT.
3. THERE HAVE BEEN RUMOURS ABOUT CHEN'S IMMINENT TRANSFER TO THE STATE COUNCIL FOR SOME TIME. IT WOULD REPRESENT A CONSIDERABLE PROMOTION FOR HIM. WE ARE INCLINED TO TAKE MME FENG'S REPLY AS TACIT CONFIRMATION THAT THE STORY IS ACCURATE.
4. IF THE STORY IS TRUE, THEN THE HKMAO MFA WILL HAVE NEITHER A DIRECTOR OR DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS. THIS IS NOT (NOT) GOING TO BE CONDUCIVE TO SPEEDING UP WORK IN THE JLG.
COATES
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<) Miss Majar, HKD
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I think HID shid be top copy
on this
Ry
4/3
ANS
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