TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 181

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MAGENTA

(32)

FROM:

PJ GOULDEN,

NEWS

DATE: 13 JULY 1984

Jun 17 717

cc:

PS/Mr Luce o/r Sir P Cradock

HKD

Miss Waghorn,

Protocol Dept

Η Κ.Κ. 627/21

SIVED IN REG

17 JUL 1984

DESK OFFICER

į REGISTRY

VISIT TO HONG KONG AND PEKING:

PRESS

'NDEX

PA

Action Taken

Problem

1. Should we take a press party on this visit?

Recommendation

2.

We should allow bona fide diplomatic correspondents to come, but should not tout for custom or lead people to expect that the visit will be particularly productive in terms of news.

Argument

3.

We do on balance gain from having with us on the plane those journalists who are likely to cover the story anyway. (It is interesting, for example, how vocal the journalists who went with us to Moscow have been in decrying criticisms of the visit by their London-based colleagues.) Brief access to the Secretary of State and an atmospheric briefing by Sir Percy Cradock on the plane can be very effective in setting realistic expectations.

4. There is unlikely to be a large potential press party on this trip, particularly if we make it clear in advance briefing that the visit is not expected to produce a major breakthrough. But if people like Gordon Martin would like to accompany the party, it would on balance be in our interests to agree.

oulden

J Goulden

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