GRS 650
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP
33
TOP COPYse (34
2 DI
HA 4001,
DRIVED IN REGISTRY
14 JAN 1987
OFFICER
PA
RY
TO DESK BY 16090OZ FCO
TELNO 187
OF 16044OZ JANUARY 87
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
26
YOUR TELNO 102 AND OUR TELNO 172: APPOINTMENT OF NEW GOVERNOR :
MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS
THE MAIN STORIES TODAY WERE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) THE EXPECT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW GOVERNOR AND THE SCHEDULED SATELLITE-LINK PRESS CONFERENCE WERE PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN THE PAPERS. AN ARTICLE IN MING PAO SAID DR. WILSON HAD THREE QUALITIES THAT WERE NECESSARY FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP: SELF-CONFIDENCE, SINCERITY AND BEING EXTREMELY LUCKY. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL SAID THAT:
(1) THE DECISION TO APPOINT DR. WILSON WAS MADE HASTILY AND THERE HAD NOT BEEN TIME TO INCLUDE HIM IN THE NEW HONOURS LIST FOR A KNIGHTHOOD.
(11) EXCO WAS NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH THE APPOINTMENT BECASUE IT THOUGHT THAT DR. WILSON WAS NOT SENIOR ENOUGH.
(111) DR. WILSON WOULD SAY A FEW WORDS IN MANDARIN AT THE END OF HIS TELE-CONFERENCE.
(B) A SPECIAL COMMITTEE HAD BEEN SET UP TO HANDLE THE CLEARANCE OF THE WALLED CITY AND RELATED PROBLEMS. SOME PAPERS SAID ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR THE CLEARANCE MIGHT SLOW DOWN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME. SING PAO QUOTED A SOURCE AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT INSIST ON ITS SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WALLED CITY DURING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BRITISH SIDE.
(C) JOHN BOYD DENIED REPORTS THAT HE WOULD BE TAKING OVER FROM DR.
WILSON AS THE LEADER OF THE BRITISH SIDE OF JLG. HE SAID HIS NEW
JOB AT FCO WOULD CONCENTRATE ON DEFENCE MATTERS AND WOULD HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH HK AFFAIRS. A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL QUOTED BY THE
SCM POST SAID NO DECISION HAD BEEN MADE YET ON DR. WILSON'S REPLACEMENT ON JLG. THE OFFICIAL SAID BOYD WAS UNLIKELY TO RETURN
TO JLG.
CONFIDENTIAL
/(D)
YLLA Y