GR 160
FRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 26040OZ
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
RECEIVED, IN REGISTRY, No. 50
28 APR 1975
LAST REF.
NEXT
REF.
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 403 OF 26 APRIL.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 319:
URBCO VISIT.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS HAS CARRIED WITHOUT PROMINENCE A P OR REUTERS REPORTS ON MEETING WITH LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS AND MRS ELLIOTT'S SUBSEQUENT PRESS INTERVIEWS. STANDARD (WHICH HAS GIVEN MUCH COVERAGE TO MOVEMENT FOR REPRESENTATION IN COVERNMENT) ALSO PRINTED A REPORT ON 25 APRIL FROM RANGIT PEIRIS IN LONDON, SAYING THAT LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS HAD TOLD MRS. ELLIOTT THAT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG ON 16 JANUARY HAD BEEN MISQUOTED. STAR REPORT ON 24 APRIL WAS HEADED ''A DESPAIRING ELSIE SLAMS BRITISH GOVERNMENT MINISTER', BUT EDITORIAL ON 25 APRIL WAS CRITICAL OF MRS ELLIOTT AND MISS CHEUNG AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY. HAD EXPECTED TOO MUCH. COPIES OF THESE ARTICLES FOLLOW BY AIRMAIL.
2. NON-COMMUNIST CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS ALSO CARRIED AGENCY REPORTS, BUT ONLY SIGNIFICANT EDITORIAL WAS IN KUNG SHEUNG EVENING NEWS (RIGHT-WING BUSINESS), WHICH COMMENTED THAT BRITAIN DID NOT CARE ABOUT HONG KONG EXCEPT WHEN HER OWN INTERESTS WERE AFFECTED, E.G. IN TEXTILE MATTERS. NO REPORTS HAVE APPEARED IN COMMUNIST
PRESS.
3. COVERAGE GIVEN SO FAR HAS BEEN UNEXCEPTIONAL AND LATEST REPORTS EMPHASIZE DIVISIONS BETWEEN DELEGATION MEMBERS.
MACLEHOSE
FILE S:
HKIOD (4)
NEWS D
FS TO LORD GORONWY ROBERTS
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE 6 GRAFTON STREET, W1.
RESTRICTED
20