FROM:
IVOR ROBERTS
DATE: 8 SEPTEMBER 1983
CC :
PS/MR LUCE
MR DONALD)
Mr Clift
11679
154 Mr. Morris
Hong Kong Department
Plspent from pinto nied
v. careful drafting.
MR LUCE'S RADIO INTERVIEW WITH MR MONTCOMERY OF RIHK
1.
\..
By arrangement Mr George Montgomery of Hong Kong telephoned today to list the
questions he would like to put to Mr Luce in the curtain-raiser I referred to in my telegram number 870 viz:-
i The purpose of the Minister's visit, including his programme and what he
hopes to achieve during his stay;
ii The confidential nature of the talks between us and the Chinese had given
rise to a great deal of speculation in Hong Kong. Could the Minister reiterate the need for confidentiality (I said that while I would be prepared to recommend that the Minister explain why the talks should be confidential, he would not say anything
Further about the talks or 'the future' in advance of his press conference on the
28th. This was understood, but we shall nevertheless need to be alert to any surrep- titious supplementaries);
iii The Minister's career and its relevance to Hong Kong, including his experience as a District Officer in Kenya;
My miv
Sep. 78
iv How much emphasis will the Minister be giving to grass roots opinion?
Mr Montgomery volunteered that this would enable the Minister to emphasise the contacts in his programme with the Unofficials and the District Boards.
2.
After consulting PS/Mr Luce, I told Mr Montgomery that we would try to find a suitable time towards the end of next week; his programme goes out on a Sunday and if he recorded just before the Minister departed on Monday, 19 September, the broadcast would not go out until after the Minister had arrived in Hong Kong. On reflection, and
if it were convenient to the Minister, this might not be a bad idea as otherwise to have
the broadcast go out nearly a week before his arrival would allow too much time for
pressure and interest to build up, in a way which would make an already difficult press
conference all the more awkward.
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