TNAG-2277-FCO40-3276-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 27

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öä Dr Markim please prichce a comment BBC WORLD SERVICE: FUTURE OF THE EAST ASIA RELAY STATION HONG from Us?

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We have been giving more thought to the future of the Hong Kong relay station following our exchange of telegrams in July.

2. As you know, the relay station provides a vital service by delivering a good signal into China and into Japan and Korea. China, as a priority area, cannot properly be served by other World Service relay stations (although a poorer quality signal can be delivered to some parts of China by the Singapore relay station). The Hong Kong relay station went on the air relatively recently, in September 1987, and cost £8.8 million. The lease on the land occupied by the station expires in June 1997 as does the licence under which the station operates. The limitations on the lease and licence create a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the station. I note (your telno 3419) that the question of possible interference with aircraft using the new airport has gone away.

3. The station was built without reference to the Chinese authorities. They continue to jam certain BBC broadcasts and to complain about the content of some BBC programmes. Given the expiry of the lease and licence in June 1997, we think it unlikely that the Chinese will renew them, once they take over. Even if the Hong Kong authorities were to extend the lease and licence prior to 1997, we think that the Chinese would close. down the station if a pretext were to present itself. The mere act of extending the lease and licence for, say, 10-15 years might be seen by Peking as provocative. We therefore believe that we cannot count on the station having a future beyond June 1997 under its present lease and licence. We think that its chances of survival would still be doubtful if the Hong Kong authorities were now to extend the current lease and licence.

4. As our exchange of telegrams in July revealed, we are agreed that now is not a good time to approach the Chinese about the station. I am not sure if there will ever be a good time to do this. The content and tone of BBC World Service programmes is not likely to change significantly and the

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