00 DO I
GR 275
DEBY 190900Z
CYPHER/CAT A
FM BTC HONG KONG 190715Z
0726
NO DISTRIBUTION
TRED (2) HUGD) PUSD (2) of 129. TREDOJ/HULED
23
DPC F
CONFIDENTIAL
Jeer
HKK16411
My So
DESKBY 190900Z
TO IMMEDIATE D.0.1 TELNO.INDUS 15 OF 19 JANUARY 78.
INDEX
No
JAN 1978
كمة
FOR MACDONALD, IC2.
POWER STATION PUBLICITY.
1. SIDNEY GORDON HAS NOW ASKED WHY WE HAVE NOT DELETED QUESTION AND ANSWER NO.6. HE ARGUED THAT WITH THE DELETION OF THE REFERENCE TO HONG KONG DOLLAR PROPOSALS FROM PARA.4 OF YOUR OFF THE RECORD BACKGROUND NOTE, THE QUESTION SHOULD NOT ARISE.
2. I SAID THAT THE DRAFT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WERE FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES ONLY AS WE COULD NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE TOPIC MIGHT BE RAISED. HE AGREED, RELUCTANTLY, THAT IF WE WERE COMPELLED TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER WE MIGHT SAY THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE HONG KONG DOLLAR FINANCING BUT CLP/ESSO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE THE PROPOSAL.
3. GORDON CLEARLY SUSPECTS THAT A QUESTION WILL BE ENGINEERED BY LAZARDS. I ASSURED HIM THAT GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICERS DID NOT VOLUNTEER INFORMATION WHICH WAS STRICTLY FOR DEFENSIVE USE BUT THAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPORTANCE WHICH HE ATTACHES TO THE AVOIDANCE OF ALL REFERENCE TO HONG KONG DOLLAR FINANCING WAS MADE KNOWN TO ALL CONCERNED AT YOUR END.
4. GORDON ALSO ASKED WHETHER CLP COULD MAKE USE OF YOUR OFF THE RECORD BACKGROUND NOTE IN THEIR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT TO SHARE- HOLDERS AS IT CONTAINS EFFECTIVE ANSWERS TO POSSIBLE LOCAL CRITICISM. WOULD IT BE IN ORDER FOR CLP'S PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF TO DRAW ON THE BACKGROUND NOTE PREFACING THEIR REMARKS WITH
A PHRASE SUCH AS 'IT IS UNDERSTOOD FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES IN LONDON THAT'' ? GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS BY 0100 GMT TOMORROW 20 JANUARY.
MARCH
?