UNCLASSIFIED
TOP COPY Q DIST
030513
MDHIAN 5801
HEB 020 123
16
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3865
OF 23094OZ NOVEMBER 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
OUR TELNO 3850: INTERNATIONALISATION OF HONG KONG
1. BOTH LI HOU AND LU PING HAVE PUBLICLY CRITICISED THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS FOR DISTORTING THEIR COMMENTS ABOUT MY
WASHINGTON SPEECH AND POTENTIALLY CREATING A DIPLOMATIC ROW. LI HOU
ALSO SPECIFICALLY EXPRESSED HIS AGREEMENT WITH THE FCO SPOKESMAN'S
STATEMENT CALLING FOR A CALM AND CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH.
2. BOTH SCMP AND THE STANDARD TODAY PRINT COMMENTS BY LI HOU AND LU
PING CORRECTING THE ACCOUNT GIVEN OF THEIR EARLIER COMMENTS. IN
PARTICULAR LI HOU DENIED THAT HE HAD SAID I CONTRAVENED THE SPIRIT
OF THE JOINT DECLARATION BUT RATHER THAT HE MADE A GENERAL COMMENT
ABOUT THE HANDOVER OF ADMINISTRATION FROM BRITAIN TO CHINA. HE SAID
HE SAID HE HAD NOT CHECKED'' THE WORDING OF MY SPEECH.
T 1
3. LU PING ALSO CRITICISED THE SCMP FOR INACCURATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE
REPORTING. HE SAID THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN TALKING ABOUT ME WHEN HE
SAID PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT PARTICIPATED IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS DID
NOT UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION. HE DEMANDED THE NEWSPAPER SET THE
RECORD STRAIGHT BY PRINTING HIS CRITICISM AND COMMENTS IN FULL.
WILSON
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
61
ΜΑΙΝ
58
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH (FE)
PAGE
NEWS D
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/LORD BRABAZON
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
MR MOSS
1
UNCLASSIFIED