COHACR
HULB 027/3:
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CO Hum
49
2 7 1988
12
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Mr McLaren Laxen
Private Secretary
DATE:
CC:
Hong Kong Department
27 April 1988 ✔ 4
7
5
PS/Lord Glenarthur
Mr Gillmore
Mr Meyer, News Department
Souday ~ Hate Protocol Department
г
VISIT TO HONG KONG BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE
1.
Please refer to Mr Galsworthy's minute of today's date. It
records that the Secretary of State has questioned the need for a speech at the lunch on the first day of the Secretary of State's visit to Hong Kong.
2. I should be grateful if the Secretary of State could consider
this point further. As he knows, Hong Kong craves reassurance. The Governor attaches particular importance to the proposed speech as an opportunity to put on public record HMG's continuing commitment to
Hong Kong and to its smooth transition up to 1997. I think this
could be best done on an occasion separate from the press conference. It would receive extensive press coverage in its own right. On the other hand coverage of the press conference is bound
to concentrate on the Secretary of State's replies to the
(inevitably churlish) questions of local journalists.
3.
I do not think that the speech need be long. It would be possible to say all we need in ten minutes at the most. I believe it would have great value in local presentational terms.
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