TNAG-2278-FCO40-3278-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Radio-Television-Hong-Kong-Board-of-Gove-1991 — Page 165

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 306/1

∞

043036 MDHIAN 7433

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3235

OF 15090OZ OCTOBER 91

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

2

u 27/10 и

YOUR TELNO 1834: RTHK CORPORATIZATION.

·

TOP COPY Q DIST?

1 THE EXCO MEETING OF 8 OCTOBER 1991 WAS THE FIRST DISCUSSION ON THE CORPORATIZATION PROPOSAL FOLLOWING THE EXCO DECISION OF 18 JULY 1989. AS PREVIOUSLY EXPLAINED, THE TIME IN BETWEEN HAS BEEN TAKEN UP BY DRAFTING LEGISLATION AND EXAMINING STAFFING OPTIONS.

2. THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON PLANS TO CORPORATIZE RTHK HAS BEEN IN THE PUBLIC ARENA FOR A LONG TIME. WE WENT PUBLIC IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXCO DECISION ON 18 JULY 1989. THE CHINESE THROUGH THE NEWSPAPERS ARE LIKELY TO BE JUST AS WELL INFORMED AS THE HONG KONG PUBLIC AT LARGE, ALTHOUGH, AS YET, WE HAVE NOT RAISED THE MATTER WITH THEM DIRECTLY.

3. EXCO DID NOT EXPRESS A VIEW ON WHAT WE SHOULD DO IN THE EVENT OF A NEGATIVE CHINESE RESPONSE, ALTHOUGH WE MADE CLEAR TO THEM THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT OPPOSE THE PROPOSAL AND SEEK TO UNDERMINE

IT. THEY ARE ALSO AWARE THAT A DECISION NOT TO PROCEED IN THE FACE OF CHINESE OPPOSITION WOULD MAKE HKG LOOK VERY LAME. MEMBERS WISHED FIRST, HOWEVER, TO OBTAIN CHINESE VIEWS.

4. OUR VIEW IS THAT ANY CHINESE ARGUMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT WE WOULD BE GIVING TOO MUCH FREEDOM TO THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER AND THAT THIS, AS WELL AS CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, WOULD NOT BE DESIRABLE, WOULD NOT, REPEAT NOT, BE SUFFICIENT REASON IN ITSELF FOR US TO BACK DOWN ON OUR PROPOSAL WHICH ESSENTIALLY PROMOTES EFFICIENCY, FLEXIBILITY AND WHOLESALE ECONOMIES. POLITICALLY, ANY DECISION NOT TO PROCEED SIMPLY BECAUSE OF SUCH VIEWS WOULD BE SEEN IN HONG KONG AS SUCCUMBING TO CHINESE PRESSURE FOR CENSORSHIP, EVEN THOUGH THE CHINESE WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO ARGUE THE CENSORSHIP POINT IN PUBLIC. THE ONLY ARGUMENT THAT THEY COULD EASILY DEPLOY IN PUBLIC WOULD BE THAT MAJOR CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE

INAPPROPRIATE IN THE RUN UP TO 1997 - A RATHER WEAK PUBLIC POSITION.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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