CONFIDENTIAL ·
CRPS 200
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
FII FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 281610Z
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 158 DATED 23 FEBRUARY
LAST
YOUR TELEGRAM 171: YOUR VISIT Nt.
1. YOUR PARAGRAPHS 2-7 WE AGREE
2
REC
IN
REC
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- 4 MAK 1975.
2. YOUR PARAGRAPH 8, WE SUGGEST THAT THE IDEA OF A PRESS LUNCH, WHILE A GOOD ONE, SHOULD BE LEFT OPEN FOR THE TIME BEING. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE TIME. BUT IN ANY CASE WE ARE INCLINED TO THINK THAT A LARGE SCALE EVENT MIGHT HAVE THE SAME RISKS AS AN ON-THE-RECORD BRIEFING. THE BEST PLAN MIGHT BE A SMALL OFF-THE-RECORD LUNCH WITH ABOUT HALF A DOZEN INFLUENTIAL NEWSMEN, PERHAPS AT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE. IF THE IDEA STILL SEEMS APPROPRIATE AROUND, SAY, MID-MARCH, OUR NEWS. DEPARTMENT COULD LIAISE WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE ABOUT SUITABLE PEOPLE TO BE INVITED, WE MIGHT ALSO LEAVE THE QUESTION OF THE HOST OPEN FOR THE TIME BEING. THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION ARE WILLING BUT NOT PUSHING,
3. LORD GORONWY ROBERTS'S OFFICE TAKE BROADLY THE SAME VIEW ABOUT A MEETING WITH MP'S (YOUR PARAGRAPH 9). THIS COULD BE VERY USEFUL, BUT, AS LAST TIME, LAST MINUTE CHANGES IN PARLIA~ MENTARY INTERESTS OR TIMETABLE COULD AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE IDEA. THEY THEREFORE SUGGEST A REVIEW ABOUT THE END OF MARCH. 4. HERRIES AND KIDD HAVE BEEN INFORMED. HERRIES HAS WRITTEN TO YOU.
CALLAGHAN
Ales:
HRIOD
News Dept.
fo/ LORD CORONWY - ROBERTO
$18. D. WATSON
MR. HALS.
Cones To:
Hong Kong GovVERNMENT OPKce".
CONFIDENTIAL..
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