a
Redacted under FOI
exemption 27(1)
13
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC062/1
223
064136
MDHIAN 0258
TOP COPY Q DIST 7
CONFIDENTIAL FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 347 4
OF 1710152 OCTOBER 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
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PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD, FROM DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR
WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS TO GOVERNOR, HONG KONG
£246-
YRTELNO 2099 AND PEKING TELNO 1838:
24
RELOCATION OF HMS TAMAR TO STONECUTTERS
1. WE ANTICIPATED THERE WOULD BE QUESTIONS ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TAMER OF THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN RECLAMATION AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE I GAVE ON 12 OCTOBER ON THE PROPOSED PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT, FOLLOWING THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS ON 11 OCTOBER. ACCORDINGLY, A QUESTION AND ANSWER BRIEF WAS PREPARED (COPY IN MIFT) AND CLEARED BY THE GOVERNOR PERSONALLY BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE.
2. THE QUESTIONS DID INDEED COME AND A TRANSCRIPT OF THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND JOURNALISTS IS IN 2ND MIFT. AS WILL BE APPARENT, THE BRIEF WAS FOLLOWED.
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3. THE Q AND A BRIEF IS ON ALL FOURS WITH OUR EARLIER COMMUNICATIONS ON THE LINE TO BE FOLLOWED. YRTELNOS 1818 AND 1819 REFER. WE ARE SURPRISED AT PEKING'S VIEW THAT WE ARE SOMEHOW IN BREACH OF THE PUBLIC LINE SET OUT IN TELNO 3135 |
THE COUNTER BALANCE POINT
THAT THE SITE OF ANY FUTURE CHINESE NAVAL BASE WOULD NOT BE PREJUDICED WAS NOT DEPLOYED (PARA 2 OF SECOND TUR) BECAUSE THE QUESTION OF REPLACEMENT NAVAL BASE WAS NOT RAISED AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE. FOR OUR PART, WE HAVE NOT STRAYED BEYOND OUR BRIEF.
4. INITIAL COVERAGE IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE MEDIA HERE WAS FACTUAL, ALTHOUGH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS TRIED TO PRESENT THE STORY MORE IN CONFRONTATIONAL TERMS. AS TO THE CHINESE INITIAL REACTION, XU JIATUN, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A DIRECT QUESTION AT AN OPEN AIR FUNCTION, MADE ONLY A PASSING REFERENCE AND IS LOW KEY. THE CHINESE
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PAGE CONFIDENTIAL