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2. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD REUTERS' RECORDING OF THE BRIEFING THAT QI HUAIYUAN (MFA PRESS SPOKESMAN) GAVE, ON WHICH WE PRESUME THE NCNA REPORT IS BASED. QI SAID IN CHINESE THAT CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE TODAY HAD WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING THE VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF HONG KONG, AND REACHED A COMMON CONCLUSION'' 4. WE HAVE REFERRED THE MANY PRESS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THIS REPORT TO THE AGREED JOINT PRESS STATEMENT (PEKING TELNO 59 TO HONG KONG) AND HAVE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE NCNA REPORT. WE HAVE TRIED TO OBTAIN CLARIFICATION FROM QI, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD HE WILL BE UNAVAILABLE BEFORE TOMORROW. WE HAVE REQUESTED THE TEXT OF HIS PRESS BRIEFING.
GALSWORTHY
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