RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 015
OF 180627Z JANUARY 90 INFO ROUTINE FCO
RESTRICTED
2
026752
MDLIAN 1245
HKB 306
ハ
ECEIVED IN C
TOP COPY
25 J 1990 Q DIST?
FOR HAROLD YAU, GIS
GDR RADIO AND TV
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DR LUTZ POHLE IS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF GDR RADIO AND TV IN PEKING. WE FIRST MET HIM AT THE AIRPORT ON THE GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL LAST WEEK. HE HAS NOW APPROACHED US FOR HELP OVER MAKING A FILM IN HONG KONG. IN AUGUST 1988 HE MADE A FILM ON MACAO. HE WAS POSTED TO PEKING IN SEPTEMBER 1989 BUT HAD BEEN HERE TO COVER GORBACHEV'S VISIT IN MAY.
2.
OUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF POHLE, WHO IS A SINOLOGIST, AND STUDIED HERE IN THE EARLY 80S, WAS FAVOURABLE. AT THE AIRPORT HE HAD SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND THAT HIS COUNTRY SHOULD BE AWARE OF IT. WHEN HE CALLED ON US TODAY, HE SAID THAT THERE WAS ALMOST TOTAL IGNORANCE ABOUT HONG KONG IN EAST GERMANY. HE HOPED TO RECTIFY THIS. FROM OUR BRIEF CONVERSATION HE GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS DELIGHTED BY DEVELOPMENTS IN EAST GERMANY AND DEPRESSED BY THOSE HERE. HE MAY THEREFORE BE LIKELY TO PRESENT A SYMPATHETIC PICTURE OF HONG KONG. HE SEEMED PLEASANT, INTELLIGENT AND SENSIBLE. HE SPEAKS REASONABLE ENGLISH.
3. POHLE PROPOSES THAT HE AND A 2-MAN CAMERA CREW SPEND 2-3 WEEKS IN HONG KONG IN MARCH-APRIL. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD CONTACT YOU TO RAISE THE SUBJECT AS YOUR SUPPORT WOULD MAKE HIS LIFE EASIER. HE WOULD WELCOME ADMINISTRATIVE BUT NOT FINANCIAL SUPPORT. HE WOULD EXPECT TO CANVASS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, INDIVIDUAL AND NCNA OPINIONS. WE SAID THAT, IF YOU WERE ABLE TO HELP, YOU COULD CLEARLY FACILITATE SUCH INTERVIEWS BUT WOULD NOT SEEK TO DICTATE WHOM HE INTERVIEWED.
4.
THIS WOULD BE A NOVEL DEPARTURE WHICH WOULD NEED THE AGREEMENT OF RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS. IF YOU WISH TO SUPPORT POHLE'S PLANS THIS WOULD CLEARLY HELP. IF YOU WISH TO PROCEED WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ACT AS GO-BETWEEN. IF NOT, THEN WE WILL TELL POHLE TO APPLY IN THE USUAL WAY BUT ADVISE HIM THAT HIS VISA FEES ARE
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