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should be an emphatic confirmation to the people of Hong Kong that HMG has always, does now, and will continue to accept a moral responsibility for the future security and prosperity of the people of Hong Kong. This needs to be reinforced first by a vigorous explanation once again of why the Joint Declaration is so good an agreement, entered into by the Government with its eyes open and designed to ensure that unpredictable events in China should not undermine confidence in the separateness of Hong Kong.
And secondly
by a reaffirmation of the point made by the Secretary of State in his evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee that, if the worst came to the worst, we would of course not only live up to our responsibilities but mobilise international support. I will submit again next week on this.
4. There is one operational point that has emerged from my conversations with some of the journalists who intend to go to Hong Kong. There is great respect for the competence of the Hong Kong Government Information Service. But, as Mr Meyer found out on the last trip, it is something of a juggernaut and needs careful guidance if it is to be sensitive to the needs of HMG and British correspondents as opposed to the Hong Kong Government and the local correspondents. With a visit as short and highly charged as this one, I really do need to have someone on the spot who has liaised with the Government Information Service about the press and media requirements and who is available to manage the British press while I accompany the Secretary of State. I recommend therefore that a member of News Department (Mr Whitehead) should go to Hong Kong in advance of the Secretary of State's arrival to liaise with the Government Information Service and ensure that we hit the ground running when we arrive. He should go out overnight on 28/29 June so as to have two working days with the Information Service. I have not had a chance to talk to my new AUS about funding the trip but hope that either Miss Spencer or Mr McLaren will be able to foot the bill from their travel budgets if this proposal is agreed and the cost cannot be found (as I would hope) from Protocol Department.
An knew Run