WALABH
Ru
28
ه
Private Secretary
MR ROBERT ADLEY MP
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: A C GALSWORTHY,
DATE: 20 February 1986
HKD
cc: PS/Mr Renton
Sir W Harding
Dr Wilson
1. As agreed with you,
you, I telephoned Mr Norman Lornie of British Airways this afternoon. I told him that Mr Adley
was claiming that British Airways had told him that they had been advised by "official Sources in Hong Kong" that he was likely to receive a very hostile reception in Hong Kong and that he should be discouraged from making the trip.
2.
Mr Lornie
said
British
Airways
had
that
themselves
untrue. this was completely
should decided that they
the 2 February
article in the South China Morning Post, which had been sent to them by their Hong Kong representative. They had done
they though t that Mr Adley's
dissuade Mr Adley from going, having seen
this because
cause
embarrassment
Adley himself.
his to
could
presence
to colleagues,
and BA,
to Mr
3. Mr Adley had himself leapt to the conclusion about half
way
the Hong Kong Government through the conversation that must be behind this. Mr Lornie had done his best in that to conversation
subsequent conversations
convince Mr Adley that this was not the case. that he had evidently not succeeded.
4.
and
in
other
He was sorry
Mr Lornie said that before telephoning Mr Adley he had
Far from
Adley from going
to Hong
s pok en to Lam in the Hong Kong Government Office. encouraging him to dissuade Mr
Kong, Lam had been somewhat apprehensive that Mr Adley might seek to blame the Hong Kong Government for British Airways'
decision.
CONFIDENTIAL