TNAG-1624-FCO40-2238-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 103

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布政司署

香港下亞厘畢道

DIEU

本署檔號 OUR REF.:

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

CE Leeks Esq

Hong Kong Department

FCO

Dear Clinton

203

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

4 August 1987

VC.c. Fes & Researb dapt (FC)

i smith of info

vis

N

Sunth

ce 1878. се

Staff Changes in NCNA

You will be aware that there have been rumours for some time that some of the senior officials at NCNA will be retiring shortly. Speaking in Canton yesterday, Xu Jiatun told Hong Kong journalists that younger people would be appointed as Vice- Directors of NCNA before the Party Congress in October. Xu declined to give any further details.

However, the most likely scenario appears to be that Li Chuwen and Chen Daming will retire towards the end of the year. There have been rumours for several years now that Li would retire, but this is now looking more and more certain.

The two names tipped for promotion to the position of Vice- Director have been those of two Deputy Secretaries-General: Mao Junnian (also Deputy Secretary-General of the BLDC and Secretary- General of the BLCC), and Qiao Zonghuai (well known because of his work on the JLG). Another name being mentioned as a possible candidate for promotion is Zhang Junsheng, currently head of NCNA's propaganda department.

In connection with Mao Junnian, I enclose a copy of a letter to the editor published in today's South China Morning Post from one of the more thoughtful members of the public.

According to the SCMP, Xu Jiatun would not comment on whether he would retire after the Party Congress. However, RTHK reported that he would certainly not be retiring this year. Given the other changes which are apparently in the pipeline, I doubt that Xu will be retiring for a while yet.

Yows ever,

Chris

(C T Wood)

Assistant Political Adviser I

cc C O Pigott Esq.

British Embassy, Peking

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