Acuon Taken
GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 100
CONFIDENTIAL
OF 11144OZ JANUARY 86
Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
RESIDENT CLERK PLEASE INFORM WILSON AND LAYDEN A.S.A.P.
APPOINTMENT OF NEW GOVERNOR
4001
REGISTRÉ
13 JAN 1987
1. TVB THIS EVENING CARRIED A LENGTHY REPORT FROM LONDON IN ITS
MAIN NEWS PROGRAMMES (CHINESE AT 11103OZ, ENGLISH AT 11110OZ)
THAT DR DAVID WILSON WOULD BE OFFICIALLY NAMED AS HONG KONG'S NEW
GOVERNOR WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE STATION, QUOTING SOURCES,
SAID IT WAS BELNEVED THAT MRS THATCHER AND SIR GEOFFREY HOWE HAD
MADE THE DECISION ON THURSDAY AFTER THE LATTER'S RETURN FROM
BERMUDA. IT ADDED THAT FINAL APPROVAL BY THE QUEEN WAS NEEDED BEFORE DR WILSON FACED CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE PROCEDURES FOR HIS
SECONDMENT TO HONG KONG AS GOVERNOR. IT SAID THAT SIMULTANEOUS
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE FCO AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE
MADE LATER THIS WEEK AND IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES WOULD SET UP A SATELLITE PRESS
CONFERENCE FOR THE NEWS MEDIA TO TALK TO THE NEW GOVERNOR.
2.
THE TVB REPORTERS (CHEUNG CHI KONG AND BETTY LIU FOR THE
CHINESE AND ENGLISH CHANNELS RESPECTIVELY) WERE PICTURED OUTSIDE
DR WILSON'S RESIDENCE. THEY SAID THEY HAD TELEPHONED HIS HOME
BUT HAD GOT NO ANSWER. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT DR WILSON WAS SPENDING
THE WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY.
3.
TVB ADDED THAT HMG HAD NOT YET INFORMED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
OF THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THE QUEEN HAD NOT YET GIVEN HER
APPROVAL, BUT THAT THE APPOINTMENT WAS EXPECTED TO BE WELCOMED
BY THE CHINESE.
4. A BRIEF PROFILE OF DR WILSON WAS BROADCAST ON BOTH CHANNELS
AFTER THE ABOVE REPORT.
5. IN REPLY TO ENQUIRIES FROM THE MEDIA, WE ARE TAKING THE LINE
THAT ALL REPORTS MUST BE CONSIDERED SPECULATIVE UNTIL AN OFFICIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN
LIMITEO
1038
COPIESTO
HONG KONG GOV OFFICE LONDON
HOL HKD
HOLFEO
HOIPOO
PS
PS| LADY YOUNG Ps/MR RENTON
CHIEF CLERE
MR GILLMORE
MR WILSON.
CONFIDENTIAL
اول