CONFIDENTIAL
077 2 MDHIAN 6592
PREPARATION FOR SOME TIME. PRESUMABLY, THE COMMUNIST PRESS WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFERENT HEADLINES IF PEKING HAD WON THE 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES. LOCAL PRESS INTEREST HAS BEEN LIMITED (THE NCNA HAS ATTEMPTED TO RE-FLOAT THE STATEMENT AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN RECENT MONTHS) BUT UK AND OTHER FOREIGN JOURNALISTS SEEM TO SEE THE RE-RUN OF THE STATEMENT AS OMINOUSLY THREATENING ON THE EVE OF THE 12TH ROUND OF TALKS AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN. THE BIG DOMESTIC COVERAGE SUGGESTS THAT IT IS PART OF THE PRC'S DAMAGE LIMITATION EXERCISE FOLLOWING THE BAD NEWS FROM MONTE
CARLO.
PATTEN
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
64
ΜΑΙΝ
57
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS NEWS D
NTCD
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR HUM
ADDITIONAL
7
CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO)
CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES
CAOFF//MR SIBSON
NNNN
PS NO 10.
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CONFIDENTIAL