TNAG-1019-FCO40-1269-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 67

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attempts to probe the attitudes of other governments. For example, criticism of a possible US policy move on Taiwan may be expressed in a Hong Kong pro-Peking newspaper in advance of the official adoption of a position on the issue by Peking. Similarly, Peking might use this means to give preliminary intimations of concern over actions in Hong Kong taken or contemplated by the British and Hong Kong Governments. So far, however, articles which have discussed Hong Kong affairs have generally not given the impression of being authoritative. We suspect that these for the most part reflect local points of view.

4.

Because of the use apparently made by leaders in Feking of newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong we need to make the best assessment we can of the status of the publications concerned. Apart from the communist newspapers, Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Po and Hsin Wan Pao, which are generally orthodox, the status of such left-wing magazines as Zhengming, Dong Xiang and The Seventies seems less clear. Even more so in the case of Kuang Chiao Ching (the 16 January issue of which carried an interesting article on Hong Kong) and Nan Pei Chi (which on 16 February had an article suggesting that Peking was becoming impatient with Taipei's failure to respond to its overtures). We would welcome

any comments you may have on the status of publications of this kind. We should also be interested in any light which can be shed on the identities of such regular contributors as Qi Xin of The Seventies and Luo Bing of Zhengming (the latter gives the impres- sion of being a resident of Peking).

Yams

Esti

coli Мей

KC Walker

Far Eastern Section Research Department

cc :P J Williamson Esq, HK&GD

A R Paul Esq, FED

A E Lewis Esq, PUSD

A C Galsworthy Esq, Peking

LAY NO. 51

0 2 JUN1981

:STRY

Action Taken

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CONFIDENTIAL