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Serum & State
235
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content with this recoupmen
Private Seanetary
blr Goodad
Dabian
APS/MR GOO DLA)
23/12
Mr Hum
PS/Mr GoodÍad Wikister
Private Secretary
A323112
FROM: P F Ricketts
Hong Kong Department DATE: 23 December 1993
cc: Mr Culshaw, News Dept
Mr Fry, FED
HONG KONG: PROPOSAL FOR INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Problem
1.
The new Hong Kong/English newspaper "Eastern Express" which is to be launched on 20 January has made a bid for an interview
with the Prime Minister in their first edition. We have also
had a separate bid from the London Correspondent of the group launching this paper (John Ellison) for an interview with the
Secretary of State.
Recommendation
2. That we should not pursue the idea of an interview with the Prime Minister but that the Secretary of State should offer an
interview after the OPD (K) meeting on 24 January and his
appearance before the FAC on 25 January.
Background and Arqument
I see two main reasons against recommending an interview
by the Prime Minister:
The new paper has no track record, although it is billed as
an independent paper (following the South China Morning Post's acquisition by a group with close relations with China). The Prime Minister has not in recent years given an interview to the Hong Kong media. To do so for this paper
would be very high profile. It would require the
Prime Minister to master some detailed briefing and there
inter.PET.JRB
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