TNAG-1872-FCO40-2660-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 13

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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CONFIDENTIAL

065030

MDHIAN 1587

OUR IMPRESSION IS THAT KMT ELEMENTS HAVE CONSTITUTED AN INSIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THOSE DEMONSTRATING.

(D) ALLEGED INCIDENTS INVOLVING SHIP FROM FUJIAN.

1

ON 7 JUNE A JUNK FROM FUJIAN ('MEI HAI/01 FROM GONG KOU) ARRIVED

WITH 6 CREW AND 30 CATTIES OF FISH. IMMIGRATION REFUSED ENTRYD

BECAUSE WITH SUCH A MEAGRE CARGO WE SUSPECTED THEY WERE NOT HERE FOR LEGITIMATE PURPOSES, BUT FOR SMUGGLING. THIS WAS AN ENTIRELY NORMAL IMMIGRATION PROCEDURE. THE SAME JUNK HAS TRIED TO EVADE CLEARANCE ON A PREVOUS OCCASION. IT IS EXTRAODINARY THAT GUO RAISED

SUCH A TRIVIAL INCIDENT. THE NCNA HAVE NOT RAISED IT WITH US.

(E) SHOWING OF FILMS IN HK

THIS REFERS TO QUOTE IF I WERE FOR REAL UNQUOTE AND QUOTE THE COLDEST

WINTER IN PEKING UNQUOTE. BACKGROUND IS TWO SERIES OF TELEGRAMS

RESTING WITH MY TELNO 406 AN YOUR TELNO 1218 RESPECTIVELY. OUR POSITION REMAINS THAT, GIVEN THE NEW LEGISLATION AFFECTING CENSOR- SHIP AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME SINCE THE FILMS WERE FIRST PRODUCED, THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT THEIR EXHIBITION WOULD SERIOUSLY

DAMAGE RELATIONS WITH ANOUTHER COUNTRY. INDEED THERE IS NO SIGN

THAT THEIR SHOWING IN HK HAD ANY EFFECT AT ALL ON THE PUBLIC MOOD. ON 14 JUNE NCNA TELEPHONED THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE TO EXPRESS CONCERN THAT THE BAN ON QUOTE COLDEST WINTER UNQUOTE MIGHT

BE LIFTED AT THIS TIME. THE APPROACH WAS MADE AT A JUNIOR LEVEL AND

WAS LOW-KEY IN MANNER.

3. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT ANY FURTHER REPLY

TO GUO FENGMIN'S REMARKS IS REQUIRED. I SUGGEST THAT IF THE CHINESE REVERT TO ANY OF THE POINTS, THE EMBASSY SHOULD DRAW ON THE INFORMATION ABOVE. WE SHALL DO THE SAME IF THE NCNA MAKE A PARALLEL APPROACH, WHICH THEY HAVE NOT YET DONE.

WILSON

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