TNAG-1019-FCO40-1269-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 66

I C Orr Esq

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Assistant Political Adviser

Government Secretariat HONG KONG

12 May 1981

Dear lain

THE PRO-PEKING PRESS IN HONG KONG

1. It is one of the remarkable aspects of the current Chinese political scene that the pro-Peking press in Hong Kong often publishes information on Chinese affairs which is not openly available within China. Recent examples include accounts of the Politburo meeting and central work conference held in late 1980 published in Zhengming (February 1981) and Liao Gailong's report on the "1980 reform" published in The Seventies (March 1981). Other documents have leaked out through Nationalist sources - for example Deng's speech of 18 August 1980 (which was mentioned in Liao's report), published in the Taipei journal Issues and Studies and subsequently in Zhanwang in Hong Kong. This parti- cular document has the ring of truth, although of course we cannot be completely sure of its authenticity, and Nationalist sources have often published fabricated documents in the past.

2. Leaving aside the question of documents obtained by the Nationalists, I think there are two main reasons why the commun-- ists publish such material in the pro-Feking press in Hong Kong. First, the "reformist" faction in Peking apparently uses this means to publicise documents and articles, ranging from speeches by Deng and others, which lack full endorsement by the leadership and are therefore only circulated in restricted bulletins on the mainland, to reports and comments about Chinese politics which, being controversial, would therefore not be authorised for open publication on the mainland. The use of the Hong Kong publications in this way is evidently an indication of factional manoeuvring. It indicates the importance attached by those con- cerned in Peking to exerting influence on Hong Kong and overseas Chinese opinion. Reportedly the Chinese authorities have imposed a ban on the import into China of the main Hong Kong magazines involved, but this may not be fully effective, and it is possible that "reformist" figures in Peking may still be using these magazines as a means of disseminating their views within China.

3. Second, the Peking authorities may use the left-wing press in Hong Kong for disinformation, tentative propaganda moves and

/attempts

CONFIDENTIAL