SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 849
TO DESKBY 201100Z FCO
OF 201024Z MARCH 91
SECRET
HKB 182 12
RECEIVED IN 2
2 5 MAR 1991
DESK
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BIC HONG KONG
257
003613 MDHIAN 8772
PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS FROM GOVERNOR.
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR.
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY.
BTC HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR HEAP.
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA: REFERENCES TO CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT.
1. ANY KNOWLEDGE HERE OF THE DETAILS OF MY DISCUSSIONS WITH LU PING, OR PLANS FOR FURTHER TALKS, HAVE BEEN GRADED SECRET AND KEPT TO A VERY SMALL CIRCLE. THOSE IN THE KNOW ARE LIMITED
TO MEMBERS OF EXCO AND A HANDFUL OF SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS. THIS IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE EXCHANGES STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. FURTHERMORE, IF ANOTHER MEETING WITH LU PING CAN BE ARRANGED, I WISH IF POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT SECRET.
2. THIS STRATEGY IS BEING SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. TWO TELEGRAMS RECEIVED THIS MORNING REFER EITHER TO MEETINGS WITH LU PING OR MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIM. THE MOST SPECIFIC IS FCO TELEGRAM NO 518 TO MOSCOW WHICH IS GRADED RESTRICTED. FCO TELEGRAM NO 231 TO PEKING, GRADED CONFIDENTIAL, REFERS TO MY LETTER TO LU. BY FORTUNATE CHANCE, THE FORMER TELEGRAM HAS BEEN GIVEN A REASONABLY RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE HKG. BUT THE LATTER, SINCE IT DEALS WITH TIMING OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT, HAS GOT A WIDER DISTRIBUTION. BOTH HAVE GONE TO UKREP JLG AND THE BTC.
3. WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN HERE TO LIMIT THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE. BUT I FEAR THESE LAPSES ALREADY MAKE THAT HARDER. THE TWO TELEGRAMS IN QUESTION SEEM TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN NEWS DEPARTMENT AND FED WHERE PEOPLE ARE PRESUMABLY NOT AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND AND THE EXTREME SENSITIVITY INVOLVED. COULD YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL CONCERNED WITH THE PLANNING FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT ARE AWARE THAT ANY REFERENCE TO MY EXCHANGES WITH LU PING, OR THE POSSIBILITY OF A PRIVATE MEETING HERE, ARE GIVEN THE RIGHT CLASSIFICATION AND ADDRESSED IN HONG KONG TO ME PERSONALLY.