PP FCO
GPS 267
EN CLAIR
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No.51
15 FEB 1972
HICKS/548/
FM HONG KONG 1410502
UNCLASSIFIED
FLOW H
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 147 OF 14 FEBRUARY.
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PS to PUS.
Mr. Wilford Ad News 2
ند
ARD
در
(2) Hd GIPD
FOR NEWS DEPARTMENT FROM LEAHY.
7.
1. ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG YESTERDAY EVENING, THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THAT SPOKE TO THE PRESS BRIEFLY AND MADE TWO MAIN POINTS. FIRST, BRITAIN'S ENTRY INTO THE EEC DID NOT IN ANY WAY MEAN A LESSENING OF OUR INTEREST IN HONG KONG. SECONDLY, BRITAIN CONTINUED TO HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND WAS DETERSINED TO SEE IT PROSPER. HE REAFFIRMED THESE POINTS IN THE COURSE OF A PUBLIC SPEECH WHICH HE GAVE AT LUNCH-TIME TODAY, THE TEXT OF WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWING BY BAG.
2. THIS MORNING THE SECRETARY OF STATE MET UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND AFTERWARDS I TOLD THE PRESS ON THE RECORD THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FULL AND FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD FOUND MOST USEFUL. CERTAIN POINTS HAD BEEN MADE TO HIM WHICH HE WOULD NO DOUBT WISH TO THINK ABOUT FURTHER ON HIS RETURN TO LONDON, I DECLINED
TO GO INTO ANY DETAILS ABOUT THE SUBJECTS WHICH WERE DISCUSSED AND SAID THAT THE VALUE OF SUCH OCCASIONS WOULD BE DIMINISHED IF THEIR CONFIDENTIALITY WERE NOT RESPECTED,
3. THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS GIVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW MORNING AND THE FULL VERBATIM RECORD OF HIS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE TELEGRAPHED TO YOU. SINCE WE LEAVE FOR SEOUL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE, THERE WILL NOT DE TIME TO BREAK DOWN THE RECORD INTO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND TELEGRAPH THESE SEPARATELY TO POSTS. YOU MAY, HOWEVER, WISH TO CONSIDER DOING THIS IF IT SEEMS WORTHWHILE TO YOU,
MACLEHOSE
PA A
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