314
GR 250
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENHAL
FM HONG KONG 170743Z SEPT 82
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 451 OF 17 SEPTEMBER
INFO TOKYO (FOR PM'S PARTY), FCO (FOR NEWS DEPT)
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WATSON'S TELELETTER OF SEPTEMBER 14 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1054.
FROM GOVERNOR.
PRESS BRIEFING IN PEKING.
1. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES AND RISKS IN THE PROPOSAL THAT HONG KONG JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM
1
THE MAIN FRANK'' BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS: AND DEALT WITH
SEPARATELY.
2. THE PM WILL HAVE TO FACE THE HONG KONG PRESS CORPS WHEN SHE COMES HERE. THEY WILL RESENT IT STRONGLY IF THEY HAVE BEEN TREATED IN PEKING AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS'', PARTICULARLY ON ISSUES
SO CLOSELY AFFECTING HONG KONG.
3. MOR IS IT CLEAR TO ME HOW PEKING PROPOSES TO DEFINE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS BOTH BIDDULPH AND HOLLINGWORTH ARE BASED IN HONG
·
KONG. I LEAVE TO YOUR IMAGINATION THE REACTION HERE IF THE
DISTINCTION IS BETWEEN BRITISH CORRESPONDENTS ON THE ONE HAND AND
HONG KONG/CHINESE ON THE OTHER.
t t
4. FURTHERMORE, THE SOURCE OF ANY BACKGROUND BRIEFING'' WILL BE READILY IDENTIFIABLE AND ANYTHING WHICH APPEARS IN LONDON
FROM THE PM'S PRESS PARTY WILL BE TREATED AS AUTHORITATIVE AND
PLAYED BACK ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY HERE. APART FROM THE IMMEDIATE
EFFECT ON HONG KONG OPINION IT WILL PROVIDE ''FEED'' FOR SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS TO THE PM AT HER PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG. IN
CONSEQUENCE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THERE CAN BE ANY ''FRANK'' BACKGROUND BRIEFING, CERTAINLY FOR USE BEFORE THE PM HAS LEFT
HONG KONG, WILL HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFULLY CONSIDERED WITH THIS
IN MIND.
5. THIS SEEMS TO ARGUE FOR UNDIVIDED BRIEFINGS WITH ONLY THE MOST
TRUSTED INNER CIRCLE'' BEING GIVEN ANYTHING BEYOND THE NORMAL
DAILY FARE.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HRGD (4)
FED
NEWS D
PS
COPIES SENT TO
No. 70 DOWNING STREET
8102119
CONFIDENTAL
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