TNAG-2795-FCO40-4035-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1993 — Page 41

GOVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

MON OL NOU 93 04:14

PG.04

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PAO(S) 29/64 PAO(C) 1/4731/49

APA (G)

Hong Kong/Taiwan: NCNA Complaint

1.

Li Hexie of the NCNA telephoned me on 30 October to complain about a visit by a senior Taiwan official, which he had read about in the Taiwan press (I think he said the Zhongyang Daily). The visitor was Gao Konglian, whom Li described as the Deputy Chairman of the Mainland Affairs

Committee of the Taiwan Executive Yuan. According to the

report, he was due to arrive in Hong Kong on 1 November to attend a conference (details unspecified) on trade and economic cooperation between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Li said indignantly that the report said that Gao had been coming here in his official capacity.

2.

I said that I knew nothing about this visit, and would therefore not comment specifically on it, beyond making the

observation that assertions in Taiwanese newspapers were not an

authoritative source of information about Hong Kong Government

policy. I could however assure Li that our policy towards

official contacts with Taiwan had not changed. Li said that a

visit by such a senior Taiwanese representative could only be regarded as official. I said that I did not accept this.

3.

I should be grateful for any information you can dig up about this visit, and the conference which Gao is supposedly

attending.

де ало

(John Ashton)

Deputy Political Adviser

30.10.93

c.c.

PA

Ms Janet Rogan, British Embassy, Peking RA J Bunten Esq, HKD, F C O

(By Fax)

(By Fax)

C Garrett Esq, UKREP JLG, Hong Kong P Morrice Esq, BTCO Taipei

(By Bag)

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