CONFIDENTIALKB
1 AH1KB 006/13
3 k
112260 MDHIAN 2432
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 84
OF 22103OZ MARCH 90
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
а
YOUR TELNO 610 TO HONG KONG: VISIT BY MR MAUDE
1 PARA 2 OF TUR ASKS FOR OSBORNE'S VIEWS ON HANDLING MEDIA
·
REACTIONS TO PRESSURE GROUPS. THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS.
2. A GREAT DEAL HAS HAPPENED SINCE MR MAUDE SAW THE PRESSURE GROUPS LAST SEPTEMBER. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PERCEIVED POSITION ON THE BASIC LAW AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS HAS BEEN WIDELY CRITICISED AND NO DOUBT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WILL RECEIVE ITS FAIR SHARE OF ADVERSE COMMENT.
3. IF MR MAUDE DOES NOT SEE THE GROUPS THERE IS A RISK THAT THEY WILL TAKE (AND USE WITH THE PRESS) HIS AVOIDANCE OF THEM AS ALLEGED EVIDENCE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DISREGARD OF OPINION IN HONG KONG ON MATTERS WHICH INVOLVE THE CHINESE. THE BRITISH PRESS (WHO HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE CRITICAL) MIGHT REPORT THE GROUPS OMISSION AS MR MAUDE BEING UNWILLING TO FACE HIS CRITICS. THEREFORE STRICTLY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF GETTING THE BEST POSSIBLE MEDIA COVERAGE THERE WOULD BE MERIT IN MR MAUDE SEEING THE PRESSURE GROUPS. IF THE MINISTER DOES NOT SEE THEM, THEN OUR BEST LINE WITH THEM AND WITH THE MEDIA MIGHT BE THAT THE PROGRAMME IS VERY TIGHT, THAT MR MAUDE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE VIEWS OF THE GROUPS FROM HIS AND OTHER MINISTERS' MEETINGS WITH THEM ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, AND THAT HE IS HEARING REPRESENTATIVES VIEWS OF HONG KONG AT HIS OTHER MEETINGS.
4. WE DO NOT RECALL ANY ADVERSE REACTION TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE NOT SEEING THE GROUPS, BUT AT THE TIME OF HIS VISIT, SUCH ISSUES AS THE BASIC LAW HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED.
HEAP
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