TNAG-1239-FCO40-1552-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 34

420

Mr Clift

CONFIDENTIAL

Mahir 2418

cc: Mrs Priest (with enc)

433

Reference

Pac

Juke

an minday

Mr. Chips Thanks Thu Thand

wära winter

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: BRIEFING THE PRESS

hillche

Mou denni myl to dismes

within o/r. No 12/1,

S12

1. I am sorry I have not come back to you sooner on Mr Goulden's minute of 12 July.

2. On balance I am in favour of the idea of briefing, on a strictly 'not for writing basis', the editors of the four heavies. We do not want a lot of disgruntled editors on our hands and

if they can really be trusted the exercise may help to reduce some of the wilder assertions which appear in the British media from time to time, particularly about how the talks are going. Even if the editors were not able to stop their writing journalists producing nonsense from time to tome they would be in a better position to produce more balanced editorials.

3. I have discussed this with Mr Thomson in FED. He agrees.

4.

I am not sure that I agree with paragraph 4 of Mr Goulden's minute, ie that any briefing would have to be done by Ministers preferably the Secretary of State. I should have thought that Mr Donald, or Mr Donald and the PUS, might be just as good. However,

I do agree, albeit somewhat reluctantly, that we shall need to seek the Prime Minister's approval, particularly if the briefings are carried out by Ministers.

5. Finally I do not see this briefing of the editors as a substitute for our continuing to see from time to time (less

officially) sensible journalists from papers like the Financial Times. and The Economist. Both, particularly The Economist, have produced one or two useful pieces. I hope these briefings will continue.

2 August 1983

HKK 040

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

.SEF 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRAN

Action faker.

SOBA I KSJ

W Morris

Hong Kong Department

T8-77

CONFIDENTIAL