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Date
4 January, 1991
ME NICK browne
Counsellor (Information)
Dilvioli mubasay
Washington, DC
Dear Nick,
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL 4 JANUARI, 19YL "WHAT DEMOCRATS OWE HONG KONG"
I enclose the text of the second editorial in today's New York Times. Neither we nor the Hong Kong Government office here had any advance warning that the piece was coming. Nor can we think of any news reason why it should have appeared now save for the change of leadership in London. But The New York Times is in the throes of setting up a Hong kong pureau and it is possible that the eqitoriai is meant to help the new bureau establish its bonafides in попу копу.
The Hong Kong Government (HKG) representative says the editorial has all the hallmarks of Karl Meyer (one of whose main sources is Martin Lee); certainly, he (Meyer) has been a constant critic of our Hong Kong policies. The leader is directed very much at HMG rather than the HKG and for that reason we must consider whether we should respond. The call on Mr Major to order a policy review would appear to be redundant since Sir D Wilson has already been assured by the new PM that policies will not change. It is my understanding too that Representative Solarz's proposal on US visas is already law so the NYT is wrong on that point, although not unhelpful in making it. I find distasteful the implication that the difference between HMG's policies on Hong Kong and the Falkland Islands is racial.
As in all these cases if we are to respond we need to du su quickly.
Your age
Tlike
MJ HOTne
CC: Mr A к Paul, Hong Kong Dept., FCO
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