CONFIDENTIAL
HK 12.026 18
RECEIVED
3 APR 1990
101123
MDHIAN 1952
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 960
OF 19113OZ MARCH 90
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CORRECTED VERSION
PARAGRAPH 4
PERSONAL FOR PS/MR MAUDE
YRTELNO 563: VISIT BY MR MAUDE
1. NO PROBLEM WITH THE REVISED DATES. I HOPE MR AND MRS MAUDE AND THOSE ACCOMPANYING WILL STAY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. WE HAVE OTHER GUESTS AT THE TIME (INCLUDING POSSIBLY EMRYS DAVIES FROM HANOI) BUT SHOULD BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE EVERYBODY IN.
2. A PROPOSED OUTLINE PROGRAMME FOR MR MAUDE IS IN MIFT. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN FIRM UP ARRANGEMENTS.
3.
IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE PROGRAMME, WE HAVE ASSUMED THAT MR MAUDE WILL WANT TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE LOCALLY FOLLOWING THE TABLING OF THE NATIONALITY BILL (PROVIDED THIS HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE) AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES FOR 1991. WITH THIS IN MIND, WE HAVE NOT/NOT PROPOSED THAT MR MAUDE MAKE A SPEECH. WE THINK IT BETTER THAT HE BE SEEN AS COMING TO HEAR VIEWS. THE FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ACROSS ANY PARTICULAR POINTS.
4. WE HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER MR MAUDE SHOULD MEET PRESSURE GROUPS ON THIS VISIT. ON BALANCE I RECOMMEND AGAINST. HE SAW THEM ON HIS SEPTEMBER VISIT. A REPEAT WOULD PROBABLY ADD LITTLE TO WHAT HE ALREADY HAS HEARD AND RISKS GIVING THE FALSE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL HAVE A CLAIM ON THE MINISTER'S TIME WHENEVER HE VISITS HONG KONG. THIS DISTORTS THE ORDINARY POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF CONSULTATION BY GIVING EXCESSIVE ATTENTION TO CERTAIN SMALL GROUPS TO THE DISTRESS OF OTHERS WHO ARE LESS OVERTLY ASSERTIVE. INSTEAD, WE HAVE GIVEN GREATER EMPHASIS TO THE DISTRICT ELEMENT, WITH A MEETING WITH ALL THE CHAIRMEN OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND VISITS TO TWO DISTRICTS. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE MINISTER MORE OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND.
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