CONF
ENTIAL
Mr Elam (News Department)
c.c.
Private Secretary
HKK 026/5
IN
2 1 JUN 1979
DEX JANCLP
PA
Mr Barratt (P & C Dept) without encl
Mr Simons (SEAD)
H K & General Dept
FED
51
Mr
Hr Quay mi
35
19/vi
n William J.
822116.
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: PRESS
ATTACHED TACH
1.
Please see paragraph 3 of Mr Cartledge's letter of
15 June to Mr Wall about Sir Murray MacLehose's meeting with
the Prime Minister. The Private Secretary has asked us to
take action, in consultation with him and with SEAD, to pursue
the Prime Minister's suggestion that some of the large press
corps who will be in Tokyo to cover the Economic Summit, should
be persuaded to accompany Lord Carrington on his visit to Hong
Kong. Mrs Thatcher does not say so, but this no doubt applies
equally to Kuala Lumpur.
2.
The difficulties about this are as follows:
(a) Timing. As it chance will have it, the Secretary
of State's plane leaves Tokyo while the final Summit
press conference is in progress. Journalists whose
primary concern is the Summit will therefore not be
able to take advantage of our aircraft to join the party.
(b) Since I am not going to be in Tokyo for the Summit
(but will arrive only on the aircraft which is to collect
the Secretary of State), there is little that I
can do
to drum up interest. Most of this will have to be done
by Tokyo.
3./
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