CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 736
OF 170915Z APRIL 91
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
BTC PERSONAL FOR OSBORNE
CONFIDENTIAL
83
113545
MDHOAN 1823
19/4 HKD 026/9.
Mr Bycha?
рок
You should
18/4
be aware of this
W 18/14
YOUR TELNO 1112: SECRETARY OF STATES VISIT TO PEKING: PRESS BRIEFING
1.
I AM SORRY THIS IS CAUSING YOU DIFFICULTY. THE FACTS ARE
AS FOLLOWS.
2. IN PEKING I HELD TWO BACKGROUND BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS FOR THE BRITISH PRESS AND ONE FOR THE HONG KONG PRESS. I ALSO DID FAIR AMOUNT OF AD HOC BRIEFING OF BRITISH, HONG KONG AND OTHER JOURNALISTS AS I ENCOUNTERED THEM. APART FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE, DOORSTEPS AND PHOTO CALLS - ALL OF WHICH WERE OPEN TO HONG KONG AND BRITISH JOURNALISTS ALIKE THE ONLY OTHER QUOTE BRIEFING UNQUOTE WAS AT A RECEPTION FOR THE BRITISH COMMUNITY AT WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE SPOKE TO A NUMBER OF BRITISH JOURNALISTS WHO WERE INVITED GUESTS.
-
3. THE RATIONALE BEHIND MY OFFERING SEPARATE BRIEFINGS WAS TWOFOLD. FIRSTLY, SPACE IN THE BRIEFING ROOM WAS VERY LIMITED AND THE TOTAL NUMBERS VERY LARGE. SECONDLY IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT FOR THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG JOURNALISTS IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO PROCEED VERY CAREFULLY IF THEY WERE TO GET IT RIGHT AND EVEN THEN THERE WERE DOUBTS THAT THEY WOULD ALL ABIDE BY THE GROUND
RULES.
4. I INCLUDED IN THE BRITISH BRIEFINGS ONE RTHK REPORTER, SALLY BLYTHE. THE SOLE REASON WAS HER LONG TRACK RECORD OF
RELIABILITY.
5. A SECOND HONG KONG JOURNALIST (A WOMAN FROM TVB) ARRIVED UNINVITED AT THE SECOND BRITISH BRIEFING. SHE WAS AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY TO ME. I WAS CAREFUL TO GIVE HER ALL THAT I HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE TALKS ON HONG KONG (VERY LITTLE, BECAUSE WE HAD AGREED WITH THE CHINESE A MINIMAL LINE, TO WHICH I STUCK WITH EVERYONE) AND INVITED HER TO LEAVE, WHICH SHE DID. I SUBSEQUENTLY ENSURED THAT SHE GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 6. I WAS AWARE THAT WE WERE RUNNING RISKS IN INCLUDING MS BLYTHE BUT THERE IS, OF COURSE, ADVANTAGE IN TAKING TROUBLE
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