TNAG-2278-FCO40-3278-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Radio-Television-Hong-Kong-Board-of-Gove-1991 — Page 196

CONFIDENTIAL

IN

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1834

OF 11180OZ OCTOBER 91

036507

MDHOAN 2532

HKB 306/

#5 OCT 1991

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREPJLG HONG KONG, PEKING

3

YOUR TELNO 3182: RTHK BOARD OF GOVERNORS'

BILL

a new

Starr a

ate pls (with the

Tel~ 3182 as

1. THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT. THE FACT THAT MATTERS HAVE PROGRESSED SO FAR, AND THAT WE ARE NOW BEING PRESSED FOR EARLY VIEWS BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN TO BRIEF THE CHINESE, COMES AS SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE AT THIS END.

2. WE AGREE THAT THIS WILL BE A SENSITIVE SUBJECT FOR THE

CHINESE. AS YOU RECOGNISE (PARA 13 OF TUR) BRIEFING THEM IN JLG

WILL IN PRACTICE INEVITABLY MEAN CONSULTATION. BEFORE WE APPROACH THE CHINESE WE WILL NEED TO BE CLEAR, IN OUR OWN MIND, WHAT WE DO IF THE CHINESE RESPONSE IS NEGATIVE. WE UNDERSTAND

THAT THIS QUESTION WAS TOUCHED UPON IN THE RELEVANT EXCO MEMORANDUM. DID EXCO HAVE VIEWS? WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ANY

THOUGHTS ON WHAT ACTION THE CHINESE COULD TAKE TO UNDERMINE A DECISION BY US TO GO AHEAD UNILATERALLY, AND ON THE PUBLIC REACTION IN HONG KONG IF WE DECIDED TO DROP THE IDEA IN THE FACE

OF CHINESE OPPOSITION. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE CHINESE WERE BRIEFED AT THE TIME OF THE 1984 BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT, OR WHETHER THEY THEN EXPRESSED VIEWS (IF THEY WERE BRIEFED THEN, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT TO THEM THAT THIS IS A ROUTINE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS).

3. WE SHALL DISCUSS THIS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND REVERT WITH MORE

DETAILED COMMENT NEXT WEEK. WE SHALL NEED TO SUBMIT TO

MINISTERS BEFORE UKREP JLG APPROACH THE CHINESE.

HURD

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