00 CANBERRA
RR PEKING
GRS 830
DEDIP
SECRET
SECRET
enter
MKKCHO/S
6644
9
CM 518
199
FM FCO 2211002 JULY 83
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 236 OF 22 JULY
INFO HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR), PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
YOUR TELNO 356: HAYDEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSIONER FROM DONALD
1.
WE HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUS FOR SOME TIME OF THE RESENTMENT IN CANBERRA AT WHAT IS FELT TO BE INADEQUATE BRIEFING ON THE POLITIC- AL SIDE ON HONG KONG BY US. I ACCEPT THAT WE MUST TRY TO BRIEF THE AUSTRALIANS MORE FULLY IN THE FUTURE THAN WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST: THERE ARE, HOWEVER, CONSIDERABLE CONSTRAINTS AND CARE IS
STILL NEEDED.
CALLED
2. THE AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER, ROBERTSON, ON ME AT HIS REQUEST ON 20 JULY TO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE TALKS IN PEKING ON 12/13 JULY. I USED THE OCCASION TO EXPLAIN TO HIM SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ABOUT GIVING DETAILED BRIEFING ON THE TALKS EVEN TO OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS. ANY LEAKS OF INFORMATION COULD HAVE TWO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. FIRST, INFORMATION GLEANED FROM THE PRESS ABOUT HMG'S ATTITUDES OR NEGOTIATING-STANCE COULD BE USED RUTHLESSLY AGAINST US BY THE CHINESE. SECONDLY, AND PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT, WE HAD TO KEEP THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, THEY WERE GETTING A DAILY DIET OF RUMOUR AND PRESS SPECULATION, QUITE A LOT OF IT INSPIRED BY CHINA, AND ANYTHING THAT APPEARED TO BE CORROBORATION OF SOME OF THE CHINESE HALF- TRUTHS AND DISTORTIONS COULD BE DAMAGING TO MORALE.
3.
HAVING STRESSED THE CONFIDENTIALITY FACTOR, I WENT ON T SAY THAT THE TALKS IN PEKING ON 12/13 JULY HAD BEEN CONDUCTED IN
1
SECRET
/A FRIENDLY
2
11
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