"
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED
IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
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OO CANBERRA
RR PEKING
GRS 830
DEDIP
SECRET
FM FCO 2211002 JULY 83
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 236 OF 22 JULY
MKK040/5
20 JD
9 M518
INFO HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR), PEKING (PERSONAL FOR
AMBASSADOR)
YOUR TELNO 356: HAYDEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE
PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSIONER FROM DONALD
1. WE HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUS FOR SOME TIME OF THE RESENTMENT IN
CANBERRA AT WHAT IS FELT TO BE INADEQUATE BRIEFING ON THE POLITIC-
AL SIDE ON HONG KONG BY US. I ACCEPT THAT WE MUST TRY TO BRIEF
THE AUSTRALIANS MORE FULLY IN THE FUTURE THAN WE HAVE DONE IN THE
PAST: THERE ARE, HOWEVER, CONSIDERABLE CONSTRAINTS AND CARE IS
STILL NEEDED.
2. THE AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER, ROBERTSON, CALLED
ON ME AT HIS REQUEST ON 20 JULY TO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE TALKS IN
PEKING ON 12/13 JULY. I USED THE OCCASION TO EXPLAIN TO HIM SOME
OF THE PROBLEMS ABOUT GIVING DETAILED BRIEFING ON THE TALKS EVEN
TO OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS. ANY LEAKS OF INFORMATION COULD HAVE TWO
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. FIRST, INFORMATION GLEANED FROM THE PRESS ABOUT HMG'S ATTITUDES OR NEGOTIATING STANCE COULD BE USED
RUTHLESSLY AGAINST US BY THE CHINESE. SECONDLY, AND PROBABLY
MORE IMPORTANT, WE HAD TO KEEP THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF
HONG KONG, THEY WERE GETTING A DAILY DIET OF RUMOUR AND PRESS
SPECULATION, QUITE A LOT OF IT INSPIRED BY CHINA, AND ANYTHING
THAT APPEARED TO BE CORROBORATION OF SOME OF THE CHINESE HALF-
TRUTHS AND DISTORTIONS COULD BE DAMAGING TO MORALE.
3.
HAVING STRESSED THE CONFIDENTIALITY FACTOR, I WENT ON T
SAY THAT THE TALKS IN PEKING ON 12/13 JULY HAD BEEN CONDUCTED IN
See (215)
See (247)
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