CONFIDENTIAL
152
037344
MDLOAN 9552
нив 027/3
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
Q DIST ?
23 MAY 1988
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
L
TELNO 1312
OF 20172OZ MAY 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: PRESS BRIEFING
1.
YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS DECIDED, IN ADVANCE OF HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG, TO BRIEF SENIOR
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA. YESTERDAY MORNING HE
SPOKE TO PRESS REPRESENTATIVES, AND ON 23 MAY HE WILL BE SEEING THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA. THE BRIEFINGS ARE
UNATTRIBUTABLE: THAT IS TO SAY ANYTHING THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SAID MAY BE QUOTED BUT ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WILL NOT BE
ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO HIM.
2.
IN HIS BRIEFING YESTERDAY THE SECRETARY OF STATE DREW
ATTENTION TO MISCONCEPTIONS IN BRITISH MEDIA REPORTING ON HONG
KONG. HE RECALLED THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS LEADING UP ΤΟ
THE JOINT DECLARATION AND EXPLAINED HOW WE WERE CONTINUING TO
PURSUE HONG KONG'S INTERESTS WITH THE SAME TENACITY IN WORKING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. HE EXPLAINED
OUR OBJECTIVES IN THE REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND
DREW ATTENTION TO THE FAVOURABLE RESPONSE WHICH THE WHITE PAPER
HAD RECEIVED IN HONG KONG. FINALLY HE EXPLAINED THE VIEW WHICH
WE TAKE OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE PRESENT CONSULTATION EXERCISE IN HONG KONG.
3.
BY ITS NATURE THE BRIEFING WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE
IMMEDIATELY REFLECTED IN THE MEDIA, BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT OVER TIME IT WILL LEAD TO A MORE BALANCED COVERAGE OF OUR POLICY ON
HONG KONG. THE ONLY ECHO OF THE BRIEFING IN THIS MORNING'S PRESS
IS A PIECE IN THE GUARDIAN (WHICH HAD CERTAIN IRONIC OVERTONES).
ITS INFLUENCE WILL WE HOPE FILTER THROUGH TO THE HONG KONG MEDIA,
EVEN THOUGH THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO GO FOR SENIOR
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH PRESS RATHER THAN THOSE STRINGING
DIRECTLY FOR HONG KONG PAPERS.
HOWE
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