TNAG-1077-FCO40-1327-Broadcasting-in-Hong-Kong-proposed-BBC-relay-station-1981 — Page 32

Mr MacInnes

Information Department

G4/3

Red jis

OVERING CONFIDENTIAL

ник

We spoke (47

M. Maldi

Not much hell!

HKR 306/1

27

مام

2JA

BBC RELAY STATION IN HONG KONG

CARME ・see next page : Pas 7/9

1. In your minute of 6 July you asked for a passage, on possible

political advantages of the project, for incorporation in a letter

to the Governor. I attach an FED/HKGD draft. As you can see it does

not really constitute as strong an argument in favour of the station

as one would like but it is only fair to present both sides of the

political aspect.

27 August 1981

C

H McQuade

See (49)

FX G

4381

Hong Kong and General Department

cc:

Mr McLaren FED

Mr Williamson see

مسف

my

Mr McQuade

seep minute below.

女

y

1.

We spoke. I am afraid that the attached draft is really no help at all. As I explained, we are under Ministerial instructions to make the best case possible to try to persuade the Hong Kong Government to contribute to the cost of the proposed relay station. The intention is that the Secretary of State should write to the Governor, in terms that the latter can put to the Executive Council, spelling out the political and technical advantages of the project for Hong Kong as we and the BBC see them. It has been agreed that the FCO will produce the political arguments and that the BBC will let us have a passage (still awaited) on the technical benefits. Can we therefore not be more bullish on the political side? If nothing else, I think we should make what we can of the argument that the construction of the station would be seen as a sign of (HMG's?) confidence in the future of Hong Kong; and of the fact

/officials

that we have had indications beit informal ones) from Chinese

CONFIDENTIA