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173537
MDLIAN 4632
SHOULD KNOW HE NEEDED THE CARD. MILES ASKED WHETHER HE COULD
TRAVEL OUTSIDE PEKING AND FENG SAID THAT HE COULD NOT WITHOUT HIS PRESS CARD. MILES ASKED WHETHER HE COULD CONTINUE TO FILE FROM PEKING AND FENG ASKED RHETORICALLY HOW MILES COULD FILE IF HE DID NOT HAVE HIS PRESS CARD. HE WOULD NOT, HOWEVER, SAY EXPLICITLY THAT MILES SHOULD NOT WORK.
COMMENT
8.
THERE WAS NO SUGGESTION THAT THE MFA OR POLICE WERE INVESTIGATING FURTHER. FENG SAID HE WOULD LIAISE WITH THE POLICE ABOUT MILES' PRESS CARD. NONETHELESS THIS IS THE SEVEREST WARNING THAT MILES HAS YET RECEIVED AND HE NOTED THAT ARTICLE 19 OF THE REGULATIONS LISTED EXPULSION OF THE JOURNALIST AS THE NEXT SANCTION AFTER A WARNING. MILES SEEMS TO THINK THAT THE SEVERITY
OF THE CHINESE RESPONSE OWES SOMETHING TO THEIR PIQUE AT OUR OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT PARRY IN LONDON AND HERE. HE DOES NOT YET WISH US TO TAKE ANY ACTION, LEAST THIS MAKES HIS POSITION WORSE. THERE IS A FURTHER COMPLICATION IN THAT THE BBC HEAD OF NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS IS DUE TO VISIT ON 28 MAY TO ASK THAT BRIAN BARRON BE ACCREDITED IN PEKING. CATHY SAMPSON HAS NO SUCH CONCERNS AND WOULD LIKE US TO RAISE HER TREATMENT IN SHANDONG WITH THE CHINESE.
·
9 IT IS PARTICULARLY UNFORTUNATE THAT MILES WAS ONLY IN THE SQUARE BECAUSE PARRY INSISTED HE BE THERE. CARRIE GRACIE (THE OTHER BBC REPORTER HERE) TOLD US THAT PARRY PHONED THEM EVERY DAY OF HIS VISIT TO COMPLAIN THAT THEY WERE NOT COVERING HIS ACTIVITIES. GRACIE SAID THAT PARRY HAD THREATENED TO COMPLAIN TO THE BBC ABOUT THE PEKING BUREAU UNLESS SOMEONE PAID SOME ATTENTION TO HIM.
MCLAREN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
57
FED
HKD
NEWS
DISTRIBUTION
57
PAGE
PS/MR GOODLAD
PS/PUS
SIR J COLES
3
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