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CONFIDENTIAL
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FROM:
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"Sounding" telegram for you
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PF Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
Jimm
23/8
PS/Mr Goodlad
DATE:
23 August 1993
CC:
Ms Everett, News Dept Mr Fry, FED
HONG KONG: TALKS ON ELECTORAL ISSUES: BRIEFING THE BRITISH
PRESS
A, B
1.
There is now a striking volume of information surfacing
in the Hong Kong press about the substance of the negotiations. Most of this seems to be coming from Chinese
sources (I attach two telegrams on the briefing which has
been taking place since the Ninth Round of talks last week).
2. I discussed with Sir R McLaren on the flight home
from Peking whether there was more we should be doing to get
our own case across, particularly in the British press. I have noticed a number of articles in recent days picking up material from the Hong Kong press in a rather piecemeal way. At present, we are in the position of scrupulously observing
the confidentiality of the negotiations, while the Chinese
seem to be working hard to feed their version out into the
press.
3. Both Sir R McLaren and I conclude that we should do more
to get our own case across. There would obviously be risks in doing this. But I think they can be minimised by:
briefing here rather than in Hong Kong, since British
journalists are more likely to respect the off the
record nature of the exercise;
Confining the briefings to trusted contacts (perhaps
three or four who follow Hong Kong fairly closely)
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