CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 131130Z FCO
TELNO 1465
OF 13100OZ APRIL 87
INFO DESKBY 14010OZ PEKING
HKD ни
D
YOUR TELNO 1047: MEETING WITH WU IN BANGKOK ON 21 APRIL :
ANNOUNCEMENT
IT IS OF COURSE POSSIBLE THAT THE NEWS OF A SECOND MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU WOULD AROUSE MORE INTEREST THAN DID THE BERNE MEETING. ON THE OTHER HAND, AS YOU POINT OUT, THE MEETING IS VERY LIKELY TO BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ANYWAY: IF WE DID NOT ANNOUNCE IT, OR ONLY ANNOUNCED IT AFTER THE EVENT, THIS MIGHT LOOK MORE SUSPICIOUS TO THOSE WHO ARE INCLINED TO ARGUE THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ARE CONSPIRING BEHIND THE BACKS OF THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
2. ON BALANCE, I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MENTION HIS PROPOSED MEETING WITH WU WHEN BE BRIEFS THE MEDIA. IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF THIS COULD BE DONE IN THE CONTEXT
OF BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH MINISTERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IF
THESE ARE ALSO TAKING PLACE.
WILSON
1.
YYYY
HMLNAN 1464
NNNN
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