GRSL40 SECRET
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR
40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION No. 270...
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 11135OZ SEP 84
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2757 OF 11 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: POST-INITIALLING PUBLICITY.
85°
Никоно
46
RECEIVED IN RE?
12 SEP 1984
Tom wi
1. WE ARE MAKING DETAILED PLANS FOR EXPLAINING AND COMMENDING-THE.. AGREEMENT AFTER INITIALLING. WE PROPOSE TO SET UP A GROUP, TO INCLUDE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEMSELVES BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, TO MONITOR THE COURSE OF THE PUBLIC DEBATE AND TO PREPARE RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS WHICH MAY ARISE. IN SOME CASES THESE WILL BE DEALT WITH THROUGH THE NORMAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES MACHINERY. IN OTHER CASES, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO MAKE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS (E.G. SPEACHES BY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT SUITABLE PUBLIC FUNCTIONS, NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED AD HOC PRESS BRIEFINGS, ETC).
2. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE BETTER INFORMED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN HONG KONG WILL GO THROUGH THE AGREEMENT WITH AS FINE-TOOTHED A COMB AS WE HAVE DONE DURING THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS. THIS WILL RESULT IN OUR BEING ASKED WHY CERTAIN LANGUAGE WAS ADOPTED IN THE AGREEMENT WHEN THE POINT IN QUESTION MIGHT HAVE BEEN SPELT OUT IN GREATER AND MORE SATISFACTORY DETAIL. IN MANY CASES, PEOPLE WILL NO DOUBT SUGGEST THAT WORDING OR ARRANGEMENTS CLOSE TO OUR PREFERRED SOLUTIONS, WHICH HAD TO BE MODIFIED OR GIVEN WAY IN ORDER TO REACH AGREEMENT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED AND WILL ASK US WHY IT WAS NOT. IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GIVE THEM THE HONEST ANSWER WHICH WAS THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT ACCEPT SUCH WORDING
HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO
SEE HOW WE CAN AVOID ADMITTING THAT IN SOME CASES THE WORDING/ARRAN- GEMENT IS LESS THAN IDEAL AND REPRESENTS THE BEST COMPROMISE THAT COULD BE NEGOTIATED. THE NEED TO PRODUCE RAPID RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS WILL PRECLUDE CONSULTING YOU AND PEKING ON EVERY OCCASION. ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO BE MORE ACUTE IN HONG KONG THAN
PARTICUL- IN THE UK, SIMILAR PROBLEMS WILL NO DBOUT ARISE IN THE UK, ARLY IN THE RUN-UP TO PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE.
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