CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1907
OF 131239Z JUNE 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKE 182 14
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
57
MY TELNO 1889: AIRPORT TALKS: COMMENTS BY LU PING
58
146604 MDHIAN 1015
1. YOU WILL HAVE NOTED THAT YESTERDAY'S WEN WEI PAO EDITORIAL
STATED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL DURING THE AIRPORT TALKS WHICH HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE, BUT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD LATER CHANGED THEIR MINDS. THIS IS THE MOST SPECIFIC AND DETAILED PUBLIC ALLEGATION I HAVE SEEN SO FAR OF
BRITISH BACK-SLIDING.
2. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO TRY TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT IN BACKGROUND BRIEFING. SEEN FROM HERE, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THIS WERE DONE BY THE UK RATHER THAN IN HONG KONG. THE BEST WAY OF GETTING THE CORRECT VERSION OUT AND PREVENTING LU'S ACCUSATIONS BEING TREATED AS ACCEPTED FACT MIGHT BE FOR PEKING TO GIVE A FURTHER BRIEFING TO BRITISH CORRESPONDENTS.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
PADS SECRET
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
HD/NEWS D
HD/PUSD
31
ADDITIONAL
SIR P CRADOCK (NO 10)
DISTRIBUTION
40
HD/PLANNERS
PS
PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/PUS
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
MR S WIGHTMAN CABINET OFFICE
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
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