UNCLASSIFIED
FM SINGAPORE
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 187
OF 100609Z JUNE 92
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
UNCLASSIFIED
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MDHIAN 7383
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PERSONAL FOR PETER RICKETTS, HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO
HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR PS TO GOVERNOR
(248
YOUR TELNO 144: MR PATTEN'S VISIT
1.
I AM GLAD THAT MR PATTEN IS CONTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE ARRANGING. I AWAIT FINAL CONFIRMATION FROM THE MFA ABOUT ALL THE CALLS BUT NO PROBLEM IS ANTICIPATED. FOREIGN MINISTER WONG KAN SENG IS LIKELY
TO BE OUT OF TOWN, SECOND MINISTER GEORGE YEO WILL PROBABLY SUBSTITUTE: GIVEN GEORGE YEO'S CLOSE INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND
PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH LORD CAITHNESS, THIS IS A GOOD SWAP.
2. ON THE PRESS SIDE, WE HAVE, THROUGHOUT, (YOUR TELNO 126) STRESSED TO OUR SINGAPORE CONTACTS, NOT LEAST TO THE MFA, THE PRIVATE NATURE OF THE VISIT AND THE NEED TO AVOID PUBLICITY. WE HAVE TOLD MFA THAT WE WILL NOT BE PUTTING OUT ANY PRESS STATEMENT AND THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT, FOR THEIR PART, THEY WILL NOT BE GIVING ANY PUBLICITY TO THE CALLS BEING ARRANGED.
3.
I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ANY ANNOUNCEMENT AT YOUR END, GIVING DETAILS OF HIS PROGRAMME, WILL ONLY FUEL PRESS INTEREST AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT MR PATTEN AVOIDS BEING DOGGED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG PRESS THROUGHOUT HIS TIME HERE. IN THAT SENSE, CAN WE NOT SIMPLY CONFINE OUR REPLIES TO ANY PRESS ENQUIRIES TO A STATEMENT THAT HE IS STOPPING OFF PRIVATELY TO STAY WITH ME ? MR PATTEN COULD SUBSEQUENTLY ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG NATURALLY SAY THAT HE DID INDEED HAVE SOME PERSONAL CONTACTS WITH LEADING SINGAPOREANS.
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#1 JUN 1999