GR 160
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
FM BRUSSELS 143008Z NOV
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 091 OF 08 NOVEMBER 1977.
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA (FOR TSAO), WASHINGTON (FOR CROWSON), HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (FCO PLEASE PASS), ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS.
FROM JORDON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE.
HKK 121
1616,
298
YOUR TELEGRAM 1098 TO FCO, PARA 2.
INDEX
P,
INC.
R
4.0
1. IN CASE IT IS ALLEGED THAT ADVANCE WARNING OF THE PRESS
CONFERENCE WAS GIVEN, THIS IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. SOME
TIME AGO TRAN INVITED MILLS TO APPEAR WITH HIM AT A PRESS
CONFERENCE. MILLS SAID THAT IF HE DID SO, HE WAS AFRAID
THEY WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE IN PUBLIC, AND THAT HE DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THE WAY TO CONDUCT BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS,
NOR THAT IT WOULD ADVANCE THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. SO WE KNEW THAT
THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS TO BE HELD, BUT WE HAD OF COURSE NO IDEA
THAT IT WAS TO BE USED TO MAKE THIS INTEMPERATE AND UNTRUTHFUL
ATTACK ON US AND OTHER SUPPLIERS.
.2.
WE DID NOT PUT OUR PROPOSAL FORWARD IN COMPLETE IGNORANCE
OF WHAT TRAN HAD SAID: SHORTLY BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE MEETING
REUTERS OUTLINED SOME OF TRANS POINTS TO MILLS, AND MILLS GAVE
AN OFF THE CUFF REACTION SHORTLY BEFORE THE PACKAGE, WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED BEFOREHAND, WAS PRESENTED TO THE EEC.
FCO PLEASE PASS TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
least
MUIRHEAD
FILES
HK & GD (5)
EID
MR.CORTAZZI MR.HIBBERT MR. MURRAY MR. PRETVELL
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO:
H.K. GOVT. OFFICE
297)
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