TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 277

p.r.

UNCLASSIFIED

tudia

163121

MDHIAN 7334

13

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 595

OF 160853Z APRIL 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

Q DIST ?

HKB

301/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

DESK OFFICER

RE-OPENING OF TALKS: PRESS REPORTS

INDEX

REGISTRY Action Taken

BAN ON PRESS COVERAGE

1

1 THE BAN CONTINUED TO DRAW VERY CRITICAL COMMENTS HERE. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, NCNA VICE DIRECTOR ZHENG GUOXIONG SAID YESTERDAY THAT THE QUESTION OF PRESS COVERAGE FOR THE TALKS HAD BEEN AGREED BY THE TWO SIDES (SIC). BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS WOULD BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AND THERE WOULD BE NO STATEMENT TO BE PUBLISHED. NO ARRANGEMENTS HAD THEREFORE BEEN MADE FOR PRESS COVERAGE. ATV YESTERDAY QUOTED A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PEKING EMBASSY AS SAYING THAT SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON KEEPING THE TALKS CONFIDENTIAL MEANT THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PRESS BRIEFINGS AND STATEMENTS DURING THE TALKS. AND THE SPOKESMAN WAS QUOTED BY THE EXPRESS AS SAYING THAT THE- BRITISH SIDE HAD NEVER AGREED TO RESTRICT THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, NEITHER HAD WE AGREED TO ''SECRET TALKS''.

2.

BOTH ZHENG GUOXIONG AND ZHANG JUNSHENG OF NCNA SAID THEY WOULD REFLECT TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES LOCAL VIEWS ON PRESS COVERAGE. A CHINESE OFFICIAL TOLD MING PAO THAT HKMO STATE COUNCIL WAS CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE MATTER. THE SITUATIONS WOULD BECOME CLEARER IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO. ON THE OTHER HAND, HONG KONG DAILY NEWS QUOTED AN OFFICIAL OF HKMO AS SAYING THAT THE MATTER WAS NOW HANDLED BY MFA.

3

IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE HK JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION HAD WRITTEN TO BOTH QIAN QICHEN AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE. THE ASSOCIATION URGED THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO ASK THE CHINESE TO

LIFT THE BAN.

THROUGH TRAIN

OFFICIAL AS

MEDIA SPECULATION ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AS A LIKELY SUBJECT FOR THE TALKS CONTINUED. MING PAO QUOTED A CHINESE

4.

1

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED

1.