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THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED
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2.
IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SECTION
3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1968
with the information effort in the Colony lacked appreciation of the targets they should be trying to reach and of the scope for favourable publicity presented by facts with which they were over familiar.
Foreign Press
6. Mr. Littlejohn Cook sugested that any suggestion of offers of facility visits to journalists would meet with an an unfavour- able reaction in Hong Kong, since most newspapers and magazines already had representatives stationed there. The Hong Kong Government had agreed to bear the cost of a visit by a Japanese speaker lasting some weeks to handle Japanese correspondents in the Colony.
7. It was generally felt that facility visits should be offered to foreign journalists. So far as the US press was
concerned, it was agreed that BIS, New York was the best channel of influence. An invitation should go to a West European magazine with picture coverage rather then a newspaper and
journalists from South East Asian news- papers should also be considered.
Filma
8. Hong Kong had asked for a British camera team to make a 28 mm film in colour and black and white of Hong Kong week. This wes, however, likely to cost £30,000 and take two years to wake. A shorter, colour newsre 1 was generally felt to be a better proposition but Hong Kong's own film unit, which sends copies of its films to London, as thought to be in no hurry to undertake this work. A facility visit for a Pathe camera team was suggested.
9.
Colonel Wild said that an army information team, equipped with a 16 mm camera, had been set up at the time of the Aden emergency and had never been disbanded. He thought this could probably be sent to Hong Kong within a month, but not by October 10. There was particular need for psychologi- cal operation work of this kind in the New Territories which were open to infiltration from China.
Miscellaneous
10.
The Chairman asked for the meetings views on Mr. Watt's suggestion that Mr. Boxall of the Hong Kong Office in London It was should be co-opted as a member of the Working Group. agreed that in view of the close daily contact between members of the Group and the Hong Kong office, this was not necessary. Mr. Boxall could be asked to attend meetings when appropriate.
11. Miss Stowe requested that items suitable for the savingran Hong Kong Talking Points, should be sent to her.
12.
Mr. Littlejohn Cook said that he would be discussing Hong Kong with civilian and military authorities in Singapore during his forthcoming South East Asian tour.
13. Representatives of the Commonwealth Office undertook to examine the possibilities of using Lord Shepherd's forthcoming visit to Hong Kong for publicity purposes.
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