CONFIDENTIAL
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1. In preparing this 'defensive line'' we were not only
thinking of questions likely to arise in the UK, but also the
likely questions which will be put to Sir Edward Youde either
just before or just after his arrival in Hong Kong to take up
the Governorship on 20 May.
2.
It would be ideal if all of us could get away with the
simple statements in Hong Kong telegram No 354 of 16 April.
But I suggest that this is unrealistic. There was a
attached particularly interesting article in the 'Financial Times' of
E
11
22 April which deals with the so-called ''Hong Kong Solution' for the Falkland Islands and adequately disposes of it as false thinking. But it illustrates the curiosity of the media.
3. I entirely agree with the recommendation that we should
try and get away as much as possible with the Hong Kong line
and that the set of questions and answers should be used only if there is unavoidable pressure.
23 April 1982
Antonald
A E Donald
1
agree.
We should also contrive to do everything
can to discourage quietly
the currency of a
potentially harmful comparison.
CARlikan
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