TNAG-0069-FCO40-105-Disturbances-in-Hong-Kong-propaganda-1967 — Page 117

CONFIDENTIAL

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JAIT MP4 100

PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE(D.T.D.)

Telegram No. 1355

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7 September, 1967

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Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.) telegram No. 1355 of 7 September,

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Repeated for information to Canberra New Delhi, Tokyo, C.G. New York and Wellington, & \ $1400 uie sa

Adverse Publicity on Hong Kong.

We are becoming concerned at the attitude to the promotion of travel to Hong Kong being adopted by a number of major airlines and shipping companies.

2.

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BOAC, surprisingly, in view of the importance of Hong Kong to its operations, in this area, is not being very active in the promotion of travel to Hong Kong and was unable recently for instance to persuade convention promoters to

Furthermore come to Hong Kong as had previously been arranged.

they declined to assist our efforts to counteract Communist propaganda by air-freighting Hong Kong newspapers free of charge to certain places overseas while other companies, notably

This does not Pan American, were only too delighted to help. redound to the credit of the BOAC management...

3.

Again surprisingly, the Hong Kong Tourist Association! has been informed that the P. and 0. Company are considering reducing the duration of the visits of some of their liners next year. This is certainly most undesirable from our point of view and, we should have thought, also from the point of view of P. and 0., who have benefited greatly over the years from the attractions and facilities offered by the Colony.

4.

We have less specific information about other carriers but understand that the Holland-America Line are considering cutting out Hong Kong from the cruise schedule of the "Stattenden" at the end of the year and the London manager of Japan Airlines has been known to strongly advise against a visit to Hong Kong.

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We are of course doing everything we can locally to set the matter right but should be grateful for anything you or the posts concerned could do to counteract what can only be described as the successful effect of Communist propaganda on

If action can managements who should know a great deal better.

be taken vis à vis the companies named it might also be worth- while at the same time talking to Qantas, Air New Zealand and Air India to suggest that they might take a more positive line in advertising Hong Kong. We know that there has been a good deal of inaccurate reporting of Hong Kong affairs in Australia, New Zealand and India which will need positive efforts to counteract.

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