TNAG-1019-FCO40-1269-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 95

GR 780

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 261010Z MAR

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 336 OF 26 MARCH 1981

HKCK 02016

RECEIVED IN RES:STRY NO. 51

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDONAR

DEM OFFICER

SHOWING OF TAIWAN FILM IN HONG KONG: CHINESE PROTESTINDER

1. WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM ABOUT THE SHOWING IN HONG KONG OF TAIWAN FILM '' COLDEST WINTER IN PEKING'' (HUANGTIAN HOUTU).

PA

MAS

27

2. BACKGROUND IS AS FOLLOWS. THE FILM, WHICH IS ABOUT THE CULTURAL

REVOLUTION AND ITS AFTERMATH WAS PASSED FOR SHOWING BY THE CENSORS

ON THE GROUNDS THAT, ALTHOUGH FROM TAIWAN, IT DEALT WITH A

HISTORICAL EPISODE NOW CONDEMNED AS MUCH IN CHINA AS ELSEWHERE: THAT IT DID NOT DIRECTLY CRITICISE PRESENT OR PAST CHINESE LEADERS:

AND THAT THERE WERE NOT THEREFORE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS TO BAN IT.

THE FILM WAS SHOWN AT TWO OR THREE LATE NIGHT PREVIEWS LAST

WEEKEND AND WENT ON ORDINARY RELEASE AT 11 SHAW BROTHERS CINEMAS

TODAY.

3. FOLLOWING INITIALLY LOW-KEY REPRESENTATIONS BY NCNA THAT THE FILM WAS ''ANTI-CHINA'' AND ''ANTI-COMMUNIST'', IT WAS REVIEWED

YESTERDAY BY P.A. AND COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT

LICENSES. THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE ANTI-CPG PROPOGANDA CONTENT, ALTHOUGH SKILFULL RATHER THAN BLATANT, WOULD NORMALLY BE SUFFICIENT

TO REFUSE A LICENCE. SINCE HOWEVER A PERMIT HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN

AND THE FILM WAS WIDELY ADVERTISED TO START THE FOLLOWING DAY, THEY INITIALLY THOUGHT ANY DAMAGE COULD BE LIMITED BY RESTRICTING

SHOWING OF THE FILM TO A FEW DAYS ONLY.

4. THIS MORNING LI JUSHENG, SECOND DIRECTOR OF NCNA, ASKED TO SEE

P.A. URGENTLY. HE HAD INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING TO SAY THAT THE

CHINESE WERE SURPRISED, IN VIEW OF EXCELLENT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG, THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD PERMITTED THE FILM TO BE SHOWN. THEY THOUGHT THIS VERY UNFRIENDLY

AND HOPED THAT PERMISSION WOULD BE WITHDRAWN. LI ADDED THAT, SPEAKING FOR NCNA, THEY WERE PARTICULARLY SURPRISED THAT THE FILM SHOULD BE SHOWN DURING LORD CARRINGTON'S VISIT TO CHINA. THIS

COULD ONLY HARM RELATIONS.

5. P.A. SAID HE HAD JUST SEEN THE FILM. THOSE WHO HAD PASSED IT

HAD MISSED THE POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE. BUT NOW THAT IT WAS BEING

SHOWN IT MIGHT BE BEST TO LET IT DIE A NATURAL DEATH WITH PERFORM-

ANCES OVER A VERY LIMITED PERIOD. LI REPEATED THE POINT ABOUT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT AND ADDED THAT THE FRENCH

GOVERNMENT, AFTER REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE CHINESE, HAD

ENSURED THAT THE FILM WAS ONLY SHOWN FOR ONE EVENING. HE

SAID, IN ADDITION, THAT THE LOCAL RIGHT-WING PRESS WERE

ALREADY USING THE FILM TO ATTACK THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP.

CONFIDENTIAL

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Ah: 27/3

see

16.

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