TNAG-1231-FCO40-1544-Visit-by-Richard-Luce--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Com-1983 — Page 143

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DD 25010OZ HONG KONG

GRS 443

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 2501002

FM FCO 241100Z SEPT

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK

2009/27/20

RECEIVED IN

2 4 SEP 1983

INDEX

TELEGRAM NUMBER 958 OF 24 SEPTEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING DESKBY 250100Z (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR/

CHARGE)

83

84

MY TELNOS 940 AND 941: MR LUCE'S PRESS CONFERENCE

1.

FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS TO A NUMBER OF POINTS

TO TAKE THE PRESENT SITUATION INTO ACCOUNT. REFERENCES ARE TO

SECOND TUR.

(A) PARAGRAPH 3 AND 18 AND 19. COMBINE IN COMPOSITE ANSWER

COVERING CONFIDENTIALITY, BRITISH SILENCE AND CHINESE PROPAGANDA', AS FOLLOWS: 'I QUITE UNDERSTAND WHY THE PEOPLE WOULD

LIKE US TO SAY MORE. I HAVE GIVEN YOU A FULL DESCRIPTION

WE

YOU A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIS OF THE BRITISH POSITION.

PEOPLE IN HONG KONG NEED TO KNOW THAT. I STILL BELIEVE THAT IT

IS RIGHT THAT THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE TALKS SHOULD BE

CONFIDENTIAL. THE NEGOTIATIONS THEMSELVES ARE WHAT MATTER.

MUST NOT PREJUDICE THEM. WE HAVE OF COURSE SEEN A NUMBER OF

REPORTS OF REMARKS BY CHINESE PUBLIC FIGURES OR MEDIA AGENCIES. SOME HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE PRESS, OTHERS TO HONG KONG PEOPLE. I BELIEVE THAT STATEMENTS MADE OUTSIDE THE TALKS, BUT REFERRING DIRECTLY TO THE NEGOTIATING POSITION ON EITHER SIDE, ARE NOT

HELPFUL. THEY ARE TOO EASILY MISUNDERSTOOD AND, AS WE HAVE SEEN,

DAMAGE CONFIDENCE SEVERELY. IT IS OF COURSE HELPFUL IF HONG

KONG PEOPLE MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN ON ANY OF THESE STATEMENTS,

NOT ONLY TO US BUT TO THE CHINESE. (IF ASKED WHETHER WE HAVE

MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE CHINESE ABOUT PROPAGANDA).

YES,

WE HAVE TOLD THEM WHY WE THINK THIS IS UNHELPFUL. WE HAVE

EXPLAINED WHY IN OUR VIEW THE ONLY PLACE FOR AN EXCHANGE OF

VIEWS IS THE CONFERENCE TABLE.'

(B) PARAGRAPH 9. ''THE GOVERNOR DESCRIBED HIS VISIT TO PEKING

ON HIS RETURN. THE NEXT ROUND ON 19/20 OCTOBER IS THE EARLIEST

1

CONFIDENTIAL