TNAG-1039-FCO40-1289-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 219

BY BAG

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

★ Our REF: TSX 1/78

CONFIDENTIAL

040:1

145

ра

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

112

來函檔號 YOUR REF:

P J Williamson Esq

HK&GD

FCO

EUR 29.6

Dear Patricher,

POEM ON HONG KONG

226

HKK 04011

9 June 1981

? 2 JUN 1981

We were interested to see Bob Peirce's teleletter to you of 15 May about the Ai Qing poem. James Yi of the PRU reminded me that Ai Qing had visited Hong Kong in 1980 following a visit to the States, and from press reports at the time it was clear that he greatly enjoyed his stay here. James thought that the poem was carefully written to avoid giving offence to Party sensitivities: nevertheless, he thought that a great deal of excitement with and admiration for Hong Kong would come through to an intelligent reader.

2.

·

We were, therefore, particularly interested in the article in 'Liaowang' I attach a FBIS translation with some of the more striking phrases underlined. (We should be grateful if Peking could arrange for us to be sent this magazine regularly). Although the article gives a fair resume of Hong Kong's commercial importance, it does appear to be couched in more critical language. James certainly saw it as being in considerable contrast to the Ai Qing poem and possibly prepared as a deliberate anti-dote to it. Even so the mention of high salaries of intellectuals and even workers rather goes against the general aim of painting Hong Kong in an unattractive light. In any event, I attach a copy of James Yi's letter of 2 June to Peter Webb giving his own comments on the poem and the article.

Yours ever,

See (187)

cc w/encs R N Peirce Esq PEKING

AR Paul Esq FED FCO RF Wye Esq RD FES FCO

(I C Orr)

CONFIDENTIAL