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26 APR 1984
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THE 24/4
COMMISSIONER EXDIS (FROM DIS TO BROWN, PLEASE PASS TO HK DESK
FCO)
BRITISH EMBASSY TOKYO (ATTENTION JOHN GOULDEN)
3011
APRIL 24, 1984
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF AN ARTICLE IN SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST TODAY (APRIL 24).
HEADING: RARE UNITY WINS THE DAY FOR HK MEDIA
IT STARTED ON A NOTE OF DESPERATION, CONTINUED WITH SURPRISES AND EXCITEMENT - AND ENDED IN TOTAL EXHAUSTION.
THAT WAS THE VERDICT OF HONGKONG REPORTERS ASSIGNED TO COVER THE RECENT ROUND OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS IN PEKING, AND THE WHIRLWIND VISIT OF THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY,
SIR GEOFFREY HOWE.
THE MOOD AT THE BEGINNING WAS DESPAIR, ACCOMPANY ING THE TOTAL NEWS BLACK-OUT ABOUT 12TH ROUND OF TALKS.
ALL THAT REPORTERS COULD FILE BACK WAS, PERHAPS, HOW INTERPRETERS FROM BOTH SIDES COULD NOT FIND THE CORRECT NAME OF A CERTAIN FLOWER
THAT THE CHINESE CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, MR ZHOU NAN, REFERRED TO ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE TALKS.
OR THERE WAS THE USUAL OLD +USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE + PRESS COMMUNIQUE.
THE PACE BEGAN TO PICK UP THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE LIST OF SIR GEOFFREY'S ENTOURAGE WAS RELEASED.
FLOUNDERING IN THE SHADOWY WORLD OF UNNAMED SOURCES, REPORTERS BEGAN TO READ SIGNIFICANCE INTO THE INCLUSION OF A LEGAL EXPERT IN THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S PARTY.
MEANWHILE, BEHIND THE SCENES, SOLIDARITY - WHICH IS RARE AMONG HONGKONG'S MEDIA - BEGAN TO BUILD UP BECAUSE THEY BEGAN TO THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THE VISIT.
THEY WERE TOLD AT THE VERY BEGINNING THAT HONGKONG JOURNALISTS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN BRIEFINGS BY THE BRITISH SIDE.