CONFIDENTIAL
P.". Predic
162655 MDHOAN 2369
TOP COPY 212 Q DIST?
(5 Be Rela)
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 17010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1073
OF 161742Z DECEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BANGKOK, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
√210
YOUR TELNO 1882: BBC RELAY STATION
HKB 301/1
MECEN
CISTRY
29 DEC 1993
REGISTRY
INC
Actor Take
•
1 It is possible that you will now get further press interest in this. The BBC World Service gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday (15 December) and made it clear (without specifying how they knew) that the Chinese authorities intended to stop World Service broadcasting from the Hong Kong relay station after 1997. They added, in their memorandum to the Committee, that this made "the rapid development of the alternative site in Thailand a top priority for World Service".
2.
Although the linkage between the Thai transmitter and broadcasting to Hong Kong and China after 1997 has now been publicly admitted, we would still not want to suggest that the Thai transmitter is a direct replacement for the Hong Kon relay. So the line in para 5 of our telno 808 should still be used in response to any question about BBC broadcasting to the area post-1997, ie:
3.
1
The BBC World Service intends to maintain its broadcasting to the area. The Thailand station is part of the continuing global audibility improvement programme, and will have the capability to serve many areas, including China and the sub-continen Many parts of the Far East will be covered by the Singapore relay and by transmitters already being use the BBC in Russia and Japan.
As to the th questions asked by the Tin Tin Daily News:
(a) is, as you say, straightforward.
on (b) we suggest the following: HMG/HKG have of course discussed this matter periodically with the BBC. The BBC have their own contacts in Chine pressed more specifically on whether China has raised tr matter with us directly, eg in the JLG, the detail of su
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