45)
радо
CONFIDENTIAL
4464
1
DD HONG KONG 1301002
GRS 211
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 130100Z
FM FCO 121200Z JUL
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 629 OF 12 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
MKK0401
19 JUL 1983
DESK OPMER INDEX...
RA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: BBC 2 NEWSNIGHT PROGRAMME ON HONG KONG
THE LATE EVENING SHOW NEWSNIGHT CARRIED A TEN-MINUTE PIECE
1.
ON HONG KONG WHICH INCLUDED A TELEPHONED CONTRIBUTION BY
DR JOSEPH CHENG FROM HONG KONG AND A SHORT INTERVIEW WITH
MR ROBERT ADLEY MP. A SUMMARY OF ADLEY'S REMARKS IS IN MIFT.
2. WE HAD SHORT NOTICE THAT THIS PROGRAMME WAS PLANNED AND THAT
ADLEY WOULD TAKE PART. MR LUCE SPOKE TO HIM EMPHASISING
THE RISKS OF CUT AND DRIED STATEMENTS ON SOVEREIGNTY ON THE EVE
OF THE TALKS. ADLEY NOTED THIS. HIS TONE THROUGHOUT THE
INTERVIEW WAS RELATIVELY RESTRAINED BUT HE STILL GAVE IN EFFECT
A PLUG FOR THE CHINESE PLAN AND ADDED SOME GRATUITOUS
ADVICE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BE REALISTIC AND NOT TO CRITICISE
PEKING.
146
3.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PROGRAMME WITH SIR PAUL BRYAN BEFORE-
HAND. HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO TAKE PART IN A 'DEBATE' WITH ADLEY
BUT HAD DECLINED. HIS VIEW WAS THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO PORTRAY
THE ISSUE AS A STRAIGHT CHOICE BETWEEN HANGING ON TO OR CONCEDING
SOVEREIGNTY AND THAT THE PROGRAMME WOULD ATTRACT LESS ATTENTION
IF NO ONE ELSE JOINED IN.
4. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER AND HOW THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN REPORTED
IN HONG KONG.
CH28/7
See (46)
See (148
HOWE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD/HKD
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
COPIES TO:
HD/FED
MR BURROWS
ED/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
HD/PUSD
PS
MR FLOWER
PS/LADY YOUNG
MR COLES
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD MR WRIGHT
LEGAL ADVISERS ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
n
ING
MR WALKER, RESEARCH DEPT
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
CONFIDENTIAL