CONFIDENTIAL
Ano
9.00.67
Mr. Gupfinans HK WI
Foreign Office/ Commonwealth Office,
London S.W.1.
3 October, 1967
Sept
34
(IPG1/1/240/4)
R. 318
We have just held another meeting of the Hong Kong Information Working Group to review the progress made since its establishment. You will be pleased to hear that the general consensus of opinion was that, thanks to the discussions which we have had with yourself, the Governor, the Political Adviser and others in the last two month: we now have a far clearer idea of how the machine works in Hong Kong and the ways in which those concerned at this end can help.
I hope this feeling is mutual and that you too are better aware of our numerous channels of production and communication. We look forward therefore to even closer co-ordination between our two networks in the future, for the Working Party was agreed that, while the actual sense of emergency might have diminished during the past few weeks, urgent and vigorous publicity would be a continuing need to ensure the long-term economic stability of Hong Kong and international faith in that stability.
$
2. In this context there was some discussion about the secondment of extra personnel. As you may know, the Governor at his meeting with us, promised to look into this subject on his return and let us have his views. We were wondering, however, whether you felt that a replacement for Douglas Rivett-Carnac on his departure in November would be useful, or whether it was considered that his tasks would by then have been effectively completed. On a completely different plane the question of feature writers came up again with reference to your request to Fife-Clark. From our own point of view, it is the thought that this proposal might still be very useful. Our problem here is that, whilst the C.0.1. are highly skilled at writing up points from your sitreps and press telegrams and angling these storie appropriately for different sections of the world press, they are nevertheless handicapped by having to work in the dark without first- hand knowledge of the subject. By this I do not mean to imply that- the material you send us is lacking in any way but I am sure you would agree that, being so closely involved in the daily train of events, cne can overlook or take for granted the continuing achivement of development. For instance the Wovernor mentioned to us the fact that each year Hong Kong builds accommodation equivalent to one new town in Angland, This is the sort of story that can well be exploite around the world and which would more likely be picked up by somebody new to the colony. It would seem to me therefore that it would be extremely valuable if somebody with experience of our world-wide information network could visit Hong Kong for a short period to look at the situation objectively and report it as viewed from the outside.
Nigel Watt Esq.
Director of Government Information Services,
HONG KONG.
13.
1.10.
LAC
REF.
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REF.
40/21.
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVEES No. 63
HWA 13/22
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