布政司署
香港下亞厘畢道
* OUR REF.: CR 1/4731/49
來函檔號 YOUR REF.:
CONFIDENTIAL
A.C. Galsworthy, Esq., CMG,
Head of Hong Kong Department, FCO.
Dear Town
Press Briefing by Xu Jiatun
MON
239
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
18 October 1985
96.
Jh. Powell.
My Moon.?
Dr. Wilm will need
to see
Me 237.
/heavy
I enclose a copy of Xu Jiatur's backgrounder of 27 September. There is in turn a bit of background to this.
This briefing took place immediately after the Legco Elections and in response to constant nagging by the press.
Whatever its origin, Xu turned it into a fairly/comment on current Hong Kong events. He went about it rather carefully. We understand that he insisted that background this time really meant background: his remarks were not to be reported in print. He also divided sheep from goats: communist and capitalist papers were invited separately; Emily Lau were excluded.
and known trouble-makers like
But measures were taken to make sure that Xu's message fed back. There was a certain amount of telephoning afterwards to make sure that the non-communist representatives had put Xu's points into circulation on their side. This complex game seems to reflect Xu's position rather nicely - he does not want to be caught commenting directly, or committing himself to public positions on, major moves within British responsibility. At the same time, as the local constitutional waltz quickens, he cannot afford to sit it out.
We got two early accounts of the briefing, but from sources (Chugani and Emily Lau) who might be argued to have ulterior motives, and neither of whom was in any case present at the briefing." Richard Margolis, however, subsequently extracted a first hand account from a reliable chum at RTHK, as per enclosure.
It would be hard to wrong foot Xu by reference to the Joint Declaration; and para 4 (e) of the account can even, on a certain construction, be taken as constructive. Please see our forthcoming telegram on this point (Basic Law).
HKK
Oull
RECEIVED IN BELUŞ TAY
2 9 OCT 1985
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