Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
HKK 027/27
MAZIVED IN RAT
19 AUG 1983
NO. 51 0.51
Simon May Esq
Private Secretary to
the Rt Hon Edward Heath MBE MP House of Commons
LONDON SW1
DESK OS
Telephone 01-1270828
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
Wo
Your reference
Our reference
Date
19 August 1983
س
Further to my letter of 17 August, the Hong Kong Government have now confirmed to us. that the SCMP article of 13 August was a speculative piece written without any Government briefing. They felt that to deny it officially would give it undue prominence and incite further speculation.
The Director of Information Services in Hong Kong has, however, complained to the SCMP about the article, and the Director of Protocol, in answering a question at a media lunch on 17 August, made it clear that Mr Heath had been invited by the Governor to stay at Government House. Today's edition of the SCMP also carries a front-page statement from your office, clarifying the position.
I think we can therefore assume that the story (which appears to have originated in London rather than Hong Kong) is now effectively dead.
MTP Burton
Hong Kong Department