DD 13010OZ PEKING
GRS 320
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 130100Z
RESTRICTED
FM FCO 121630Z APR 84
IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 391 OF 12 APRIL
246
Onber
НКК
RECTA
027/2
16 APR 1984
12775
-
1
IND
Action Take
Joh
TKEB
NIR
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
YOUR TEL NO 673: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT: PRESS ARRANGEMENTS
1. WILSON AND GOULDEN BRIEFED UK AND HONG KONG PRESS TODAY.
2. THE BRIEF, ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY UNATTRIBUTABLE, WAS ALONG
UNREVEALING LINES. IT COVERED THE PROGRAMME IN PEKING AND HONG
KONG, THE BACKGROUND TO THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE AND HMG'S OBJEC-
TIVES. WE WERE CONCERNED TO PLAY DOWN ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT
DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS WERE TO BE EXPECTED AS A RESULT OF THE
VISIT.
COPIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S STATEMENT ON HONG KONG
IN THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEBATE OF 22 MARCH WERE DISTRIBUTED.
3. THE QUESTIONS ON CONFIDENTIALITY, THE SEPTEMBER DEADLINE,
THE LOBO MOTION, THE JARDINES' MOVE, THE TEST OF ACCEPTABILITY AND
A HONG KONG PRESENCE IN THE DELEGATION WEREEALT WITH ON STANDARD
LINES. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION, GOULDEN SAID THERE WOULD BE
NO PRESS CONFERENCE IN PEKING BECAUSE OF THE CONFERENCE ARRANGED
IN HONG KONG ONLY 2 DAYS LATER: BESIDES THIS WOULD GIVE THE
SECRETARY OF STATE A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN TO THOSE WITH WHOM HE
WOULD BE HOLDING DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG WERE MATTERS STOOD.
IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION WHETHER A REFERENDUM HAD BEEN RULED
OUT AS A TEST TO ACCEPTABILITY, WE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE
PROBLEMS ABOUT A REFERENDUM BUT SAID THAT NO DECISION HAD BEEN MADE
ABOUT HOW TO CARRY OUT THE TEST.
4. IT WAS CLEAR THAT SPECULATION ABOUT AN ACT OF UNVEILING IN
HONG KONG HAS GAINED WIDE CURRENCY. ONE JOURNALIST ASKED WHETHER
THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD BE SEEKING A DISPENSATION IN PEKING
TO LIFT THE VEIL AT HIS HONG KONG PRESS CONFERENCE. WE REFUSED
TO BE DRAWN SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT YET POSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT I
WOULD WISH TO SAY IN HONG KONG. HOWE
LIMITED
PS
HKD
PS/MR LUCE
FED
NEWS
PROTOCOL
MR WILSON
PS/PUS
SIR P CRADDOCK
RESTRICTED
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