TNAG-0943-FCO40-1162-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 256

CONFIDENTIAL

66 The Political Adviser and his Assistant have maintained contact

for rather longer. Again, the relationship has evolved slowly. The

extraordinary role and pervasive influence of NCNA, plus the fact that a

number of its staff are specifically charged to be in contact with the

Hong Kong Government, the Consular Corps and influential foreigners, has

made the news agency an obvious subject of concern to the Political

Adviser and the Hong Kong Government generally. Early indications of

NCNA's potential as a channel of communication between the Hong Kong

Government and the Chinese authorities in either Peling or Guangzhou

became evident during the disturbances in the Colony in 1967. For the

most part, the agency acted as a relay through which the CPG and the

Hong Kong Government made known to each other their views on the

situation. Normal diplomatic communications (such as protests and

explanations of action) continued to be served by contact between the

British Chargé d'Affaires and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Peking.

Nevertheless, there were occasions when contact between the Political

Adviser and officials of NCNA produced more concrete results. In July

1968 NCNA served as the channel of communication through which the Hong

Kong Government protested, and the "relevant authorities in Guangdong"

replied to the seizure by Chinese authorities of a number of Hong Kong-

registered fishing boats. Throughout 1968 the Political Adviser held

a series of meetings at the request of representatives of NCNA to discuss

prison visits to certain journalists serving sentences in Hong Kong for

their part. in the disturbances. The contacts afforded the Political

Adviser opportunities to voice the Hong Kong Government's views on such

matters as border incidents and the detention of British subjects in

China (notably Anthony Gray's detention). Although NCNA's frequent

reply was that such matters should be pursued with the authorities in

Guangzhou and Peking, it is clear that reports of the exchanges were

relayed by NCNA through the Chinese chain of command.

CONFT

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