139)
the P2017
MKK0401
ADVANCE COPY
RECEIVED IN NOBOXY RO. $1
19 JUL 1983
REGIS
PA
Mctiog
DFSK OFFOR INOSX
MMEDIATE
018706
DD FCO 060700Z
00 HONGAID
00 PEKING
GR 200
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 0607002
NO DISTRIBUTION
Arrived to Lak
FM HONG KONG 060440Z JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
85%
TELEGRAM NUMBER 959 OF 6 JULY
[PASSED TO RC]
XI HOHED_
Ho
HONG KONG GOUT
OFF LONDON
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
NR. MIPT
FOR GOVERNOR FROM HADDON-CAVE. YOUR RETURN TO HONG KONG: PRESS QUESTIONS.
1. THE PRESS ARE LIKELY TO CONCENTRATE OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR AREAS:
(A) SOVEREIGNTY: THEY ARE LIKELY TO PRESS FOR THE BRITISH POSITION TO BE SPELLED OUT, AND MAY ASK WHETHER SOVEREIGNTY HAS ALREADY BEEN CONCEDED.
(B) THE SECOND PHASE OF TALKS: WHAT DOES T 'SECOND PHASE'' MEAN AND WHAT GROUND WILL BE COVERED?
(C) THE PROSPECTS FOR THE TALKS, IN PARTICULAR IN THE LIGHT
OF DISCUSSION WITH MINISTERS IN LONDON.
Ar
(D) ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PEKING TALKS, INCLUDING THE COMPOSITION OF DELEGATIONS.
2. YOU MAY WISH TO SIDESTEP QUESTIONS ON THE BRITISH POSITION ON SOVEREIGNTY, PERHAPS BY REFERENCE TO HMG'S AIM OF SEEKING ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO PARLIAMENT, TO CHINA AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IF ASKED WHETHER SOVEREIGNTY HAS BEEN CONCEDED YOU COULD POINT OUT THAT PRESS STORIES TO THIS EFFECT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AS INACCURATE IN LONDON.
4. ON THE OTHER SUBJECTS, YOU WILL NO DOUBT WISH TO STICK TO THE TERMS OF THE JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT, THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ALREADY GIVEN ABOUT IT, THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY NO 10 ABOUT THE LONDON TALKS AND YOUR TELEVISION INTERVIEW. THE CHINESE HAVE NOW ANNOUNCED THAT YAO GUANG WILL LEAD THE CHINESE DELEGATION, AND THIS HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY REPORTED IN THE LOCAL PRESS.
4. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF THERE BEING TIME FOR QUESTIONS ON OTHER SUBJECTS, THESE WILL PROBABLY BE ENDORSEMENTS IN HONG KONG PASSPORTS ( A SUBJECT NOW BEING AGGRESSIVELY RESEARCHED BY CHUGANI) AND POSSIBLY CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
HADDON-CAVE
Jox
717
NNNN