Muiz dell
низ
94
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Mr Richetts, Head of HKD
The Minister has The agreed the press
line
as it stands. I have informed News Dept.
Mr Đám
G.J. Dereny 25/10
PS/Mr Goodlad
سى
USA 231,0
HONG KONG: PRESS LINE
FROM: P F Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 23 October 1992
cc: Sir John Coles
Ms Everett, News Dept
P..
26/10.
1. News Department need a line to take in response to the unhelpful comments by Lu Ping at his press conference after the Governor's departure from Peking today (telegram attached).
2.
I submit a draft line. This includes some general points on the difficult issue of the Election Committee. On that we have, as the Minister asked, checked our line with the Legal Adviser. I attach a copy of Miss Brooks' minute. This confirms that there were ambiguities in the Ministerial exchanges in 1990. Miss Brooks agrees that the line we took in our telegram to Hong Kong is the best one in the circumstances. If the Chinese publish the exchanges, we will have to take our stand on the ambiguities in the key Chinese message, as well as in the fact that we were negotiating in a given context which changed with the publication of the Basic Law. But for the moment I suggest we keep comments to a general level.
3. I attach a copy of the Governor's remarks on his return to Hong Kong this evening. If News Department are asked about the Airport, I suggest they refer to these comments.
Thom
PF Ricketts
pressconfmin.GEN.bern