TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 79

THERE WAS EVEN EMOTIONAL TALK OF DRASTIC ACTION IF THE HONGKONG PRESS REQUEST WAS NOT MET.

BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE UNNECESSARY.

THE BRITISH EMBASSY TEAM AGREED, WHEN THE BIG DAY ARRIVED, TO DO ALL IT COULD FOR THE REPORTERS DURING THE THREE-DAY VISIT.

BUT THE NEXT MORNING REPORTERS WERE TOLD THAT THE CHINESE WOULD HOLD THEIR OWN BRIEFING AFTER EACH SESSION OF TALKS - AT A DIFFERENT

LOCATION.

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THIS MEANT FOUR BRIEFINGS A DAY, BANQUETS IN THE EVENING AND DEADLINES TO BE MET LATE AT NIGHT.

DESPITE THE GENERAL EXHAUSTION AT THE END OF THE VISIT, REPORTERS HAD ONE HAPPY THOUGHT TO PONDER.

FOR THE FIRST TIME THE HONGKONG PRESS CORPS HAD BANDED TOGETHER AND GOT RESULTS.

IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE IR USUAL ANARCHIC, PUSHING AND SHOVING IMAGE, THEY DEMONSTRATED TO BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES THAT THEY COULD ORGANISE THEMSELVES IN A PROFESSIONAL, WELL-BEHAVED MANNER.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE SUNDAY TIMES OF SUNDAY (APRIL 22):

FOR EACH MEETING OF THE PRINCIPALS IN THE VARIOUS GREAT HALLS AND GUEST HOUSES AND EMBASSIES IN CONTRAST TO THE DISREGARD FOR THE HONG KONG. JOURNALISTS - LENGTHY BRIEFINGS WERE OFFERED TO THE MEN FROM THE BRITISH PRESS.

AT FIRST THEY WERE WELL ATTENDED, UNTIL THEIR STUPEFYING LACK OF NEWS BECAME APPARENT AND SOMEONE DISCOVERED ELIZABETH TAYLOR TRYING TO USE A CREDIT CARD IN THE LOCAL FRIENDSHIP STORE. SHE PROVED A RARE DIVERSION - ESPECIALLY WHEN, NEXT DAY, THE MEN FROM THE TABLOIDS FOUND HER IN MAXIM'S RESTAURANT AND

SAW HER TAKE AWAY A BAG OF PASTRIES.

THE HONG KONG REPORTERS HAD TO BE CONTENT WITH ONLY THREE - MINUTE BRIEFINGS AND WERE INVARIABLY DENIED DOCUMENTS GIVEN TO THE BRITISH PRESS... AS WITNESS THE CAUTIONARY ADVICE

ACCOMPANYING A HANDOUT OF A SOMEWHAT LESS THAN GRIPPING CENTRAL OFFICE OF INFORMATION INTERVIEW WITH HOWE: DON'T SAY A WORD ABOUT THIS TO THAT MO3 FROM HONG KONG; +

THERE SEEMED NO LOGIC TO THEIR POOR TREATMENT, ONLY MALICE. BUT IT WAS, I'M TOLD, NOTHING NEW. BERNARD INGHAM, THE DOWNING STREET PRESS SECRETARY WHO ACCOMPANIED MRS THATCHER ON HER TOUR HERE TWO YEARS AGO, REPEATEDLY TOLD CHINESE REPORTERS FROM THE COLONY TO SHUT UP BECAUSE HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THEM.

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