RESTRICTED
3255
1
OCMIAN 3255
OO PEKIN
00 BANGK
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
191715Z DEC
GRS 153
HKK 027/6.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 2 4 DEC 1985
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2020
OF 191715Z DECEMBER 85
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BTC HONG KONG, BANGKOK
AB 24
2
VISIT BY MR RENTON
1.
WE UNDERSTAND FROM ENQUIRIES TO NEWS DEPARTMENT THAT NEWS OF MR RENTON'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO HONG KONG IS ABOUT TO BREAK THERE. IN RESPONSE TO THESE ENQUIRIES NEWS DEPT ARE TAKING THE LINE THAT NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE OF A FAR EAST VISIT BY MR RENTON. HOWEVER IN UNATTRIBUTABLE BRIEFING WE SHALL INDICATE THAT WHEN MR RENTON TOOK OVER FROM MR LUCE AS FCO MINISTER OF STATE HE MADE CLEAR THAT HE INTENDED AS SOON AS CIRCUMSTANCES PERMITTED TO UNDERTAKE THE VISIT TO CHINA THAT MR LUCE HAD PLANNED TO MAKE. WHEN HE DOES SO, IT IS VERY LIKELY
THAT HE WILL PASS THROUGH HONG KONG.
2.
WE DO NOT WANT ANY IMPRESSION TO GAIN GROUND THAT MR RENTON'S TRIP IS A RESPONSE TO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG.
HOWE
LIMITED
HKD
FED
SEAD
NEWS DEPT
PROTOCOL DEPT
PS/MR RENTON
SIR W HARDING
DR WILSON
RESTRICTED
311