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140407
MDHIAN 8582
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FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 09040OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 47
OF 090226Z OCTOBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, UKREP LG HONG KONG
ملیم
HONG KONG: PLEASE PASS COPIES TO MR GOODLAD'S PARTY ON ARRIVAL
FCO TELNO 623 TO PEKING: DETAINED HONG KONG JOURNALIST: XI YANG
1.
The MFA HKMAO telephoned this morning to say that the Director, Deputy Director and all Division Chiefs were unavailable to see Counsellor or even to speak by telephone today, because they were attending a meeting.
2. We accordingly left the following message, which a staff member took down and agreed to transmit immediately:
"We regret that it is not possible for a senior member of the HKMAO to talk to the Embassy today.
"Over the past two weeks the Embassy has been in contact with the HKMAO several times regarding the case of a Hong Kong journalist, Xi Yang, who was detained by the security authorities on about 26 September. Xi Yang is employed by the respected Hong Kong newspaper, Ming Pao.
"On 8 October it was reported that Xi Yang has been formally arrested and charged with serious offences. The Embassy would be grateful for urgent clarification of the offences with which Xi is charged and of the Legal procedures to which he will now be subject. We also urge the Chinese authorities to permit early access to Xi for his colleagues from Ming Pao and for a Lawyer of his choice.
"The Chinese side will be aware that this case has already caused widespread concern in Hong Kong, both in media circles and more widely."
3.
We shall make the point in para 3 of our telno 1352 (about rules for journalists) orally in the margins of the Hong Kong talks on 11 October.
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