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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1974.
NEW MONITOR SYSTEM UNDER STUDY
TO KEEP SENIOR OFFICIALS BETTER ATTUNED TO CHINESE PRESS COMMENTS
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THE GOVERNMENT IS STUDYING A PROPOSAL TO PRODUCE A DAILY TABLOID COMPRISING TRANSLATIONS FROM CHINESE NEWSPAPERS TO ENSURE THAT SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO CANNOT READ CHINESE ARE WELL BRIEFED ON REPORTS AND OPINIONS OF TOPICAL INTEREST IN THE CHINESE PRESS.
DISCLOSING THIS TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON. DENIS BRAY, SAID FACILITIES ALREADY EXIST TO KEEP SEN JOR SENJOR OFFICIALS INFORMED OF OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE CHINESE PRESS, BUT HE FELT THAT THE PROPOSED TABLOID WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT +IF IT DOES NOT COST TOO MUCH.+
OUTLINING THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. JAMES WU, MR. BRAY SAID THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT CIRCULATED AN ENGLISH WEEKLY REVIEW OF CHINESE PRESS REPORTS AND COMMENTS - GLEANED FROM SOME 25 MORNING AND EVENING CHINESE NEWSPAPERS. SPECIAL DAILY REPORTS ON PARTICULAR ISSUES WERE ALSO PRODUCED AS AND WHEN NECESSARY.
IN MATTERS OF URGENCY REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED ARE FIRST GIVEN A VERBAL REPORT OVER THE TELEPHONE AND THEN MORE DETAILED WRITTEN REPORTS. BACKGROUND INFORMATION PAPERS ON PRESS REPORTS AND COMMENTS ON ISSUES WHICH ARE LIKELY TO BECOME CONTROVERSIAL ARE ALSO COMPILED FOR REFERENCE BY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT ALSO BRINGS TO THE ATTENTION OF COVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS LETTERS TO THE EDITORS OF BOTH THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE PRESS WHICH REQUIRE ATTENTION OF THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.
IN ADDITION, MOST DEPARTMENTS MONITOR REPORTS AND COMMENTS IN THE MASS MEDIA ON MATTERS OF DEPARTMENTAL INTEREST IN ORDER THAT APPROPRIATE ACTION MAY BE TAKEN.
DESPITE ALL THIS, MR. BRAY SAID HE WAS FULLY CONSCIOUS THAT +THE IMPACT OF CESTETNERED TRANSLATIONS AND SUMMARIES MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS THAT PRODUCED BY DAILY PAPERS, READ DIRECT,+ AND HE FELT THAT THE PROPOSED TABLOID WOULD CONSIDERABLY IMPROVE MATTERS.
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