TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 78

BUT HE HONGKONG REPORTERS FELT THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN BRIEFINGS.

THE ARGUMENT WAS THAT THE HONGKONG QUESTION IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE TO HONGKONG RESIDENTS AND REPORTERS FROM THE TERRITORY

DESERVED A BIT MORE.

AFTER A MEETING ATTENDED BY THE 40-ODD REPORTERS FROM HONG KONG AT THE NEW PRESS CLUB OF THE ALL CHINA JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION, REPRESENTATIVES WERE ELECTED TO CONDUCT WHAT IS TERMED +TALK OF THE TALKS+ NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE BRITISH EMBASSY.

THE RESOLUTION WAS TO FIGHT FOR TWO BRIEFINGS A DAY FOR HONGKONG JOURNALISTS DURING THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT.

THE EMBASSY, AFTER LISTENING TO THE REPORTERS' SIDE OF THE STORY, AGREED TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO SIR GEOFFREY'S PRESS STAFF AND FIXED A MEETING WITH THEM AS SOON AS HIS ENTOURAGE ARRIVED.

MORE MEETINGS AMONG THE HONGKONG REPORTERS WERE HELD TO DECIDE ON TACTICS AND IT WAS ALSO UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO RENT A CONFERENCE ROOM IN A HOTEL WHERE SIR GEOFFREY'S PRESS ENTOURAGE STAYED TO SET UP A PRESS CENTRE FOR HONGKONG REPORTERS.

THE FIRST SURPRISE CAME WHEN REPORTERS WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD COVER THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, MR WU XUEQIAN - TWO DAYS BEFORE SIR GEOFFREY'S ARRIVAL.

HUNGRY FOR NEWS, THEY MADE THEIR WAY TO THE AIRPORT ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN DELAYED UNTIL LATE THAT NIGHT.

UNPERTURBED, THE WHOLE GROUP FLOCKED BACK TO THE AIRPORT A FEW HOURS LATER ONLY TO BE TOLD THE FLIGHT WOULD NOT ARRIVE UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THEN CAME THE MAD RUSH FOR REPORTERS TO FIND A TELEPHONE TO ! MAKE THE IR CALLS TO HONGKONG.

THERE WERE A FEW WHO MANAGED TO CONVINCE AN OBLIGING LONG-DISTANCE CALL OPERATOR AT THE AIRPORT POST OFFICE TO STAY BEHIND LONG AFTER OFFICE HOURS.

ONE REPORTER EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO RENT A ROOM AT THE NEARBY AIRPORT HOTEL SO HE COULD MAKE HIS CALL TO HIS OFFICE BEFORE DEADLINE.

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ALL THESE EFFORTS PAID OFF WHEN A TIRED MR WU AFTER A 17-DAY EUROPEAN VISIT AND 10-HOUR DELAY OF HIS FLIGHT - GAVE A BRIEF

PRESS CONFERENCE.

EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE MET THEIR DEADLINES AND MR WU'S REMARKS WERE WIDELY COVERED IN THE HONGKONG PRESS THE FOLLOWING DAY.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN THE PRINT MEDIA STOLE A MARCH ON THEIR ELECTRONIC COUNTERPARTS IN BEING FIRST WITH THE

NEWS.

TEMPORARILY SATISFIED, THE HONGKONG MEDIA CONVENED ANOTHER MEETING TO PREPARE THE FINAL NEGOTIATING PLATFORM WITH THE BRITISH SIDE OVER SIR GEOFFREY'S VISIT.