TNAG-2769-FCO40-3986-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1994 — Page 62

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FM PEKING

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TO IMMEDIATE FCO

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TELNO 1622

OF 220911Z DECEMBER 93

20 DEC 1993

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

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OUR TELNO 1615: BBC TIMEWATCH DOCUMENTARY

SUMMARY

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ADVANCE CUTY

1. No action taken as yet. Signs that the BBC bureau here will be spared extreme reprisals.

DETAIL

2.

Carrie Gracie (BBC World Service) told us today (22 December) that she had telephoned Information Department of the MFA on 21 December to find out whether or not they were going to call her in to complain about the Timewatch documentary. She was told that the "Chinese Government would contact the BBC in due course, either here or in London. About an hour later the same official rang her back to invite her to attend a reception in honour of Chairman Mao which Information Department would be holding on 26 December. accepted. Today she received a New Year card from Wu Jianmin (Director of Information Department).

FI

She

3. Gracie believes that these events are meant to signal that serious action (ie expulsion or closure) will not be taken against the BBC bureau here. She does not rule out pettiness such as difficulties in travelling outside Peking or in getting permission for interviews, or refusal to give temporary accreditations for, eg, a producer or camera crew to visit from Hong Kong.

4.

Information Department have not been in touch with us.

MCLEAN

scrap!

29.

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