TNAG-0527-FCO40-622-Visit-of-James-Callaghan--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1975 — Page 6

CODE 18.77

CONFIDENTIAL

(23)

Mr Jones GIFD

BRITAIN AND HONG KONG

1. As arranged with Miss Warburton, I attach a copy of Mr Cortazzi's minute of 19 December to Mr Larmour.

體

2. As I have explained to Miss Warburton, Mr Cortazzi has suggested to me that, as a first step, HKIOD and GIPD should get together to consider the issues raised in his minute. With this in view and in Mr O'Keeffe's absence I have arranged with Miss Warburton for a meeting in Mr O'Keeffe's room at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 6 January AS an aid to discussion, I understand that you will be preparing a note on the philosophy underlying what has so far been HMG's information policy in Hong Kong (paragraph 6 of Mr Cortazzi's minute). My own feeling is that the meeting on 6 January will have enough to do in considering who is to put over HMG's view in Hong Kong but you will see that Mr Cortazzi's minute also deals with Hong Kong's presentation of their case in this country. The point here, if I may say so,

is that the better Hong Kong are in their FR work in this country the less scope there is for misunderstanding and ill conceived criticism in and outside Parliament of what goes on in Hong Kong. Any thoughts you may have on this aspect in advance of the meeting on 6 January would also be welcome.

3. As I mentioned to Miss Warburton, Mr Cortazzi will be seeing the Governor of Hong Kong on Thursday, 8 January and he would like to receive HKIOD's/GITD's proposals, at least in provisional form, by then.

4. Please let me know if you think HKIOD can be of help in making your preparations for the meeting on 6 January.

23 December 1975

CC:

Mr O'Keeffe

DF Milton

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Dept K 247

233 4381

WKK 200/SV/2 (976) FOLIO

(૧૨૯)

CONFIDENTIAL