RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1427
OF 031201Z SEPTEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE ATTC TAIPEI
RESTRICTED
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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
fw
72
023663
MDHIAN 3830
CORRECTED VERSION: DOWNGRADING OF CLASSIFICATION BY ORIGINATOR
ATTC TAIPEI TELNO 76: TAIPEI CULTURAL AND INFORMATION CENTRE IN
HONG KONG
1.
LI HEXIE, AN NCNA OFFICIAL, HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN TO US ABOUT RECENT REPORTS IN THE TAIWAN PRESS THAT THE HONG KONG OFFICE OF THE FREE CHINA REVIEW (FCR, WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION OFFICE) WAS PLANNING IN OCTOBER TO MOVE TO NEW PREMISES, ''ENLARGE ITS SCOPE'', AND CHANGE ITS NAME TO ''TAIPEI CULTURAL AND INFORMATION CENTRE
LI SAID THAT A NAME OF THIS KIND HAD OBVIOUS POLITICAL OVERTONES, AND WAS UNACCEPTABLE. IF THERE WAS TO BE A NAME CHANGE, THE NEW NAME SHOULD BE ''NEUTRAL'
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IT WOULD ALSO BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE NEW OFFICE TO PERFORM OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS.
2.
WE ASSURED LI THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CHANGE IN HKG POLICY TOWARDS TAIWAN. THE FRC WAS LIKE ANY OTHER ORGANISATION IN HONG KONG, AND HAD NO OFFICIAL STATUS. WE WERE CERTAINLY NOT PLANNING TO ACCORD IT OFFICIAL STATUS OF ANY KIND. BUT EQUALLY, WE COULD AND WOULD NOT PREVENT IT TAKING ANY STEPS - SUCH AS ACQUIRING NEW PREMISES - WHICH WERE WITHIN THE LAWS OF HONG KONG.
3.
SEPARATELY, WE HAVE SEEN INDICATIONS ON OTHER CHANNELS THAT THE TAIWANESE MAY BE PLANNING TO REORGANISE AND CONSOLIDATE THEIR ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG, IN THE HOPE OF MAKING THEM MORE DURABLE BEYOND 1997. ONE IDEA APPARENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION IS TO BRING SEVERAL KEY BODIES PERHAPS INCLUDING THE FCR - TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF. WE HAVE ALSO JUST RECEIVED VISA APPLICATIONS FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO MEMBERS OF FCR STAFF. THIS IS ITSELF UNUSUAL.
COMMENT
4. WE WOULD WELCOME ANY LIGHT WHICH ATTC TAIPEI CAN SHED ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS. TUR REPORTED ASSURANCES GIVEN IN MARCH BY JASON HU
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