TNAG-2768-FCO40-3985-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 38

CONFIDENT

низ

301/1

RECE

、 1*

ASTRY

1093

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

Freder 142)

012703

MDHIAN 3347

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO

1173

OF 010856Z SEPTEMBER 93

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TOP COPY Q DIST ?/

ra.

YOUR TELNO 33 TO UKREP JLG AND HONG KONG TELNO 1391: FUTURE OF THE BBC TRANSMITTER IN HONG KONG

·

1 ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE ATTITUDE RUNS TRUE TO FORM (IE WE TOO ARE UNSURPRISED BY IT) AND WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO CHANGE IT UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TACTICS JUST TO ACCEPT IT MEEKLY.

2.

THE LEGAL BASIS OF LIU'S THREAT IS NOT CLEAR TO US HERE: AND IT IS NOT SELF-EVIDENT THAT THE AUTHORISATION OF FOREIGN TRANSMITTERS IS A MATTER OF ''FOREIGN AFFAIRS' IN THE TERMS OF THE JD, IE OUTSIDE THE SARG'S AUTONOMY. (IF TRANSMITTING FOREIGN BROADCASTS IS ONE SUCH MATTER, IS RECEIVING THEM ANOTHER ?)

3. IN ANY CASE THE BBC AND OTHER BROADCASTERS MAINTAIN TRANSMITTERS IN A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES. THE GOVERNMENTS OF THESE COUNTRIES MAKE NO OBJECTION TO THIS PRACTICE. SO WE COULD REASONABLY ASK THE CHINESE WHY IT IS THAT THEY ARE OPPOSED TO THE BBC CONTINUING TO PROVIDE A POPULAR SERVICE FROM HONG KONG.

4.

ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN HAVING A ROW ABOUT THIS WITH THE CHINESE AT THE PRESENT DELICATE STAGE IN OUR RELATIONS OVER HONG KONG: PARTICULARLY GIVEN CHINESE LEADERS' PARANOIA ABOUT WESTERN EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE PEACEFUL EVOLUTION IN CHINA (INCLUDING THE U.S. RADIO FREE ASIA PROJECT). WE DO NOT WANT TO WHIP UP A CHINESE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE BBC, WHICH COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO THE CHINESE PUTTING PRESSURE ON THAILAND ABOUT BBC PLANS THERE. MOREOVER THE BBC HAVE OTHER COMMERCIAL FISH TO FRY IN THE CHINA MARKET: INDEED THEIR DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL IS VISITING HERE THIS WEEK.

5.

AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, AND ASSUMING THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED ABOUT THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE CHINESE POSITION AND THAT THE BBC ARE CONTENT, WE SUGGEST THAT OUR REPLY MIGHT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL