RESTRICTED
49
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 647
OF 110337Z MAY 92
173537
MDLIAN 4632
ра
a
11/5.
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HKD 015!!
CHINESE MFA WARN BRITISH JOURNALIST
SUMMARY
ON A PROVINCIAL TRIP. RETURN MILES WAS
1. BBC CORRESPONDENT NOT ALLOWED TO REPORT NEW COR NON-EXISTENT) REGULATION CITED. ON GIVEN A SERIOUS WARNING FOR ''TAKING PART'' IN PARRY'S ACTIVITIES. MILES REBUTTED THIS ALLEGATION. AS YET NO ACTION REQUIRED AS BBC DO NOT WANT TO JEOPARDISE IMMINENT APPLICATION TO ACCREDIT A TV JOURNALIST HERE.
DETAIL
2. YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT THE BBC CORRESPONDENT, JAMES MILES, WAS DETAINED BY THE POLICE ALONG WITH ROBERT PARRY MP ON
30 APRIL. WHEN MILES WAS DETAINED THE POLICE REMOVED HIS PRESS CARD.
3. MILES AND HIS FIANCEE, CATHY SAMPSON OF THE TIMES, OBTAINED PERMISSION TO GO TO SHANDONG PROVINCE OVER THE WEEKEND OF
2/3 MAY. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO VISIT SEVERAL PLACES AND HAVE INTERVIEWS ARRANGED FOR THEM BY THE LOCAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUREAUX (FAB). ON THEIR ARRIVAL IN JINAN THEY WERE MET BY THE FAB WHO, AS ARRANGED, PROVIDED TRANSPORT FOR THE 2 JOURNALIST TO GO TO A VILLAGE UP COUNTRY. MILES AND SAMPSON WERE TREATED INITIALLY WITH
GREAT COURTESY ON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE VILLAGE. CLEARLY SOMETHING HAPPENED DURING THEIR LUNCH BECAUSE AFTERWARDS THE FAB CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY SHOULD PRODUCE THEIR
PRESS CARDS AND REGISTER.
4.
THE PEKING POLICE WERE STILL HOLDING MILES' CARD AND SAMPSON HAD LEFT HERS IN PEKING SO THAT HER SECRETARY COULD ORGANISE VARIOUS BANK TRANSFERS. THEY ASKED THE FAB TO RING THE INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA TO CLARIFY THE ISSUE BUT THE FAB REFUSED TO DO SO. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF
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