✩
CONFIDENTIAL
11997
1
PEKING'S VIEWS ON THIS. WE COULD TAKE THE LINE THAT THE LEAK IS A GARBLED STORY WHICH APPEARS TO RELATE TO VERY TENTATIVE INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAVE AS YET REACHED NO CONCLUSIONS. WE COULD ADD, AS YOU SUGGEST, THAT KEEPING TRACK OF THE DEBATE IN HONG KONG IS NATURALLY A CONTINUOUS PROCESS, AND INVOLVES FREQUENT DISCUSSION WITHIN GOVERNMENT. ONE POSSIBILITY COULD BE TO USE THE NEWLY APPROVED LINK WITH NCNA TO GET THIS MESSAGE
ACROSS.
5.
WE AGREE WITH THE PRESS LINE YOU SUGGEST.
HOWE
OCMIAN 1997
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
HD/HKD HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
DEP HD/PUSD
HD/PUSD
RD (MR WALKER)
COPIES TO:- MR ROBERTS
NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT
MR WOOD
MR PEIRCE
LEGAL ADVISERS
LEGAL ADVISERS
ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFI
MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE
MR DRC CHRISTOPHER CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK NO 10 DOWNING STREET
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
SIR J FREELAND
MR WILSON
MR CROWLEY
PUSD
CONFIDENTIAL