TNAG-0942-FCO40-1161-Visit-by-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1980 — Page 58

RR PEKING

GRS 120A

никого HKK026/17 RECEIVED IN LEGSTRY NO. 51 24 SEP 1980

L

DESK STACE

INDEX

مر

$24.9.

63A2

RESTRICTED

FROM FCO 22112OZ SEP

TO ROUTINE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 498 OF 22 SEPTEMBER 80

also at:Hkko4oli

FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPT

WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG HONG TELNO 1216 OF 20

SEPTEMBER

55A)

PART A

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

YOUR TEL 809. OF 19 SEPT

MR WALTER EASEY

1. REUTERS MISQUOTED FCO SPOKESMAN AS SAYING QUOTE LORD CARRINGTON WOULD CERTAINLY BE DISCUSSING THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG DURING HIS VISIT BUT HE DISMISSED ALLEGATIONS OF A SECRET SETTLEMENT AS SHEER SPECULATION UNQUOTE. THE WORDS QUOTE LONG TERM FUTURE UNQUOTE MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS.

2. THE REUTERS REPORT HAS BEEN CARRIED ROUTINELY BY S CM POST AND BY FIVE CHINESES NEWSPAPERS. HONG KONG STANDARD LONDON CORRESPONDENT HEARN GOT IT RIGHT.

3.

ATTAMPT TO CORRECT THIS MISQUOTATION BY REUTERS WOULD GIVE EASEY ADDED PUBLICITY WHICH WE WISH TO AVOID. SUBJECT WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE RAISED BY MEDIA HERE DURING LORD CARRINGTON'S FORTHCOMING VISIT. SUGGEST WE DEAL WITH IT THEN.

4. IN REPLY TO ENQUIRIES HERE WE SHALL USE PARA. TWO OF YOUR TELEGRAM AS THE AUTHORISED STATEMENT, TOGETHER WITH RELEVANT MATERIAL IN RETRACT 71111 SEPT.

5. YOU MAY WISH TO INFORM PEKING.

CARRINGTONG

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