TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 178

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1064

HKB 061/1

ARASTU

A MIL 1991

OF 080113Z JULY 91

16

045634

MDLIAN 4429

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST?

AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, WASHINGTON

14

HONG KONG FOR POLAD

HONG KONG TELNO 2074: CONFERENCE OF CHINESE STUDENT FEDERATIONS: CHINESE DEMARCHE, 3 JULY

1. ON 3 JULY DURING A CALL ON OTHER BUSINESS ZHAO JIHUA (HKMAO, MFA) RAISED THE SUBJECT OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED CONFERENCE WITH COUNSELLOR.

2.

ZHAO COMPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE WAS TO SUBVERT THE EXISTING LEGAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA. THE ORGANISERS WERE KNOWN ANTI-CHINA ACTIVISTS. SUCH POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, DIRECTED AGAINST CHINA WOULD, IF ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE, BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND DAMAGE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WHICH WERE CURRENTLY IMPROVING. THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH HAD MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO HKG BUT BEEN FOBBED OFF WITH THE EXCUSE THAT FREEDOM OF SPEECH WAS ALLOWED IN HONG KONG. IF THE HKG ALLOWED THE CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE THIS WOULD RUN COUNTER TO ITS COMMITMENT NOT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO BE TURNED INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERTING CHINA. HE ASKED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO INSTRUCT HKG TO PREVENT THE CONFERENCE FROM CONVENING AND TO DENY ENTRY VISAS TO THE ORGANISERS COMING FROM OVERSEAS.

3. COUNSELLOR SAID HE WOULD REPORT. ON A PERSONAL BASIS HE REITERATED THAT HKG WOULD NOT ALLOW HONG KONG TO BE TURNED INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERSION OF CHINA NOR OUTSIDERS TO MAKE TROUBLE. WERE NOT A PRETEXT BUT RATHER A BASIS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF CIVILISED SOCIETY. ZHAO SAID THAT OUR VIEWS DIFFERED ON WHAT CONSTITUTED FREEDOM OF SPEECH. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT ZHAO WAS AWARE THAT PARTICIPANTS FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG WOULD BE REFUSED VISAS.

MCLAREN

LAWS

YYYY

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL