ва
(109)
CONFIDENTIAL
Catent for the
て
MR Paul, Me)
to lee Lad
41)
077075
MDADAN 2835
Caitbrew Comment.
ink in
ADVANCE COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 30140OZ F C O
TELNO 1727
OF 30122OZ MAY 91
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
MYTELNO 1272 AND PEKING TELNO 780: NEW AIRPORT: DOCUMENTS
DISCLOSURE OF
1. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, I SUGGEST THAT PEKING SHOULD APPROACH THE MFA, AND THAT WE SHOULD SPEAK TO NCNA IN PARALLEL, ABOUT THE DOCUMENT LEAKED BY
2.
AS MENTIONED IN MY TUR, THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST HAS CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT THE COPY THAT SIT GAVE TO THE PRESS WAS NOT TAKEN FROM ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS HELD BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OR BY THE CONSULTANTS. BY CHANCE, EVERY COPY TAKEN FROM THE MASTER IS INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE BECAUSE VARIOUS TABLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY PUT INTO RULED BOXES BY HAND IN BIRO. EACH COPY IS THUS UNIQUE. THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST HAS TAKEN 3 PLASTIC TEMPLATES FROM TABLES IN THE COPY GIVEN TO THE PRESS BY
NONE OF OUR COPIES FITTED THE TEMPLATES THERE IS
ALSO MANUSCRIPT HANDWRITING ON THE DOCUMENT GIVEN OUT BY
?
3. I SUGGEST THAT WE FAX A COPY OF THE DOCUMENT TO PEKING, SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE IT TO THE CHINESE AND ASK THEM IF THEY CAN IDENTIFY THE HANDWRITING (SEE MIFT). WE WILL TAKE PARALLEL ACTION WITH THE NCNA. IF THE CHINESE SHOW ANY INTEREST IN THE TEMPLATE PROCEDURE, PEKING COULD OFFER TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE TEMPLATES FOR THEM. I HAVE LIIILE THAT THE CHINESE WILL MAKE ANY ADMISSION TO US. BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE VERY EASILY TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT POSITION INTERNALLY, WHICH WOULD BE NO BAD THING.
4. WE DO NOT INTEND TO INITIATE ANY PROSECUTION IN THIS CASE. BUT WE SEE NO REASON TO TELL THE CHINESE THIS IMMEDIATELY. AFTER A DECENT INTERVAL, HOWEVER, WE INTEND TO MAKE A STATEMENT AS FOLLOWS:
QUOTE A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY CONFIRMED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE LEAK OF A CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT CONCERNING THE AIRPORT
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted under FOI exemption sections 27 (1)(a), (c), (d)|
Redacted under FOI exemption Sections 40 and 41
Page 105Page 106
тоб
ENDS