TNAG-1373-FCO40-1819-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 116

[ SUNAAC]

BACKGROUND

SECRET

1.

Since the communist take-over

News Agency Hong Kong Branch has served as China's semi-official

representation in Hong Kong.

communication

departments,

in China in 1949, the New China

It is

the

principal channel of

and

Chinese Government

The Director of the

between the Hong Kong

particularly those in Guangdong.

to

the

Agency i s always the most senior Chinese official resident in Hong Kong. (The standard New China News Agency Bureau is only a very small part of its activities.) The Director and Deputy Directors of NCNA Hong Kong, together with a number of other senior officials form the umbrella party committee which is responsible for coordination and ultimate policy control of the large number of

PRC-based organisations in Hong Kong. In practice, the major

financial and trade enterprises (eg BOC and China Resources

Corporation) are autonomous in the conduct of their financial and

trading activities. For many years

years the New China News Agency has been divided into functional departments (eg labour, education,

united front,

etc) propaganda,

facilitate the pursuit of standard communist party objectives of securing the maximum possible adhesion to Chinese views and persuading non-communist figures to be sympathetic to Peking rather than to Taiwan. This work is carried out by using communist-controlled

communist-controlled trade unions, schools, commercial enterprises and front organisations. Since the cultural revolution, China's desire to participate in and profit from Hong Kong's rapid economic growth has tak en precedence over idealogical objectives. During the negotiations on Hong Kong's future, the NCNA's activities

directed

for China's objectives, support included the orchestration of the extensive, and at times strident,

propaganda

business day

of managing channel Hong Kong's relationship with

relationship with the mainland through the NCNA nevertheless continued in the normal way.

were

towards giving

campaign.

The

day

to

and

Following the signature and ratification of the agreement the

in line with China's

2.

tactics pursued by NCNA have changed

objectives,

which

are

to

reserve

degree of control

maintenance of Hong Kong's value

value to China as

international

financial

centre.

Changes

seek to

the with over Hong Kong post-1997 compatible

an advanced economy and

have

to made

the been

for China

current

the maximum

SECRET