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DESKBY 17100OZ BOTH
FM HONG KONG 170915Z DEC 84
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1440 OF 17 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG ATTENDANCE: SECURITY
1. QIAO ZONGHUAI (NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NCNA AND SON OF FORMER FORMER MINISTER QIAO GUANHUA) ACCOMPANIED BY JI SHAOXIANG ASKED TO CALL URGENTLY ON THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER THIS AFTERNOON. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD HEARD FROM THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT IN PEKING THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS KMT-INSPIRED TERRORIST THREAT TO THE SPECIAL CAAC CHARTER CARRYING THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS FOR THE SIGNING CEREMONY. THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING WERE THAT NCNA SHOULD TAKE THIS THREAT SERIOUSLY. THE RIST WAS APPARENTLY OF A BOMB BEING PLACED ON THE AIRCRAFT IN HONG KONG. ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING, NCNA WISHED TO PROPOSE TWO POSSIBLE CHANGES OF PLAN:
(A) THAT CATHAY PACIFIC BE ASKED TO LAY ON A SPECIAL FLIGHT FOR
THE HONG KONG/PEKING LEG ONLY POSSIBLY WITH THE CAAC PLANE COMING TO HONG KONG AS SCHEDULED, BY WAY OF DECOY:
(B) TO ARRANGE FOR THE OBSERVERS TO TRAVEL TO CANTON BY THROUGH
TRAIN, AND TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY BY SPECIAL CAAC PLANE
FROM CANTON.
2. AS WITH PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN NCNA RELAYED TO US INFORMATION ABOUT KMT-INSPIRED TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG, THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOURCE OF THE THREAT OR THE IDENTITY OF THOSE SEEKING TO CARRY IT OUT. AFTER CONSULTING THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, WE DECIDED THAT THE TRAIN OPTION SHOULD BE RULED OUT BECAUSE THE RAILWAY STATION IS INHERENTLY MUCH LESS SECURE THAN THE AIRPORT. THERE IS NO (NO) EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO US WHICH WOULD SUPPORT THE CHINESE ASSERTION OF A THREAT. WE NEVERTHELESS DECIDED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO HARM IN ASKING CPA WHETHER THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LAY ON AN AIRCRAFT
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