TNAG-0330-FCO40-366-Visit-of-Parliamentary-Under-Secretary-of-State--Anthony-Roy-1972 — Page 176

PRIORITY

EN CLAIR

F HONG KONG 689345Z

UNCLASSIFIED

R

13

10 JUL1972

PMIL

pa

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 629 OF 8 JULY INFO PEKING WASHINGTON.

MR POYLE'S VISIT TO PEKING.

THE 'KUNG SHEUNG DAILY', A RIGHT-WING HONG KONG PAPER, HAS REPORTED IN A FRONT PAGE HEADLINE ARTICLE THAT MR ROYLE'S TALKS

IN PEKING LED TO AGREEMENT BY CHINA TO EXTEND THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE FOR 20 YEARS TO 2217, QUOTE RELIABLE TOP-LEVEL INFORMATION FROM MAINLAND CHINA UNQUOTE IS QUOTED AS THE SOURCE.

2. THIS HAS BEEN TAKEN UP IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS AND MAY

BE RELAYED BY THE AGENCIES.

3. IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS MY INFORMATION SERVICES HAVE SAID:

BEGINS

THIS 13 PURELY SPECULATIVE, MR ROYLE'S TALKS IN PEKING WERE

CONFIDENTIAL. WE HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO WHAT MR ROYLE TOLD THE

PRESS WHEN HE WAS IN HONG KONG.

ENDS.

FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

MACLEHOSE

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

FED

NKIOD

NEWS D

RES D (VE SECT)

COPIES TO:

HK GOVT OFFICE PALL MALL