TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 151

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 280

CONFIDENTIAL

FROM PEKING 0708527 DEC 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2919 OF 7/12/84

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 1 DEC 1984

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGI RY

Action Taken

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

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YOUR TELNO 1438: PARAGRAPH 4: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT:

MEETING WITH BRITISH PRESS

1. THE PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH BRITISH CORRESPONDENTS KN PEKING (PRESUMABLY BOTH RESIDENT AND VISITING) WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE TO TAKE PLACE ON THE EVENING OF 19 DECEMBER AFTER THE WELCOMING BANQUET (THOUGH THIS MIGHT WELL COINCIDE WITH YOUR INFORMAL MEETING WITH WU XUEQHAN). THE TWO POSSIBLE VENUES ARE THE PRIME

MINISTER'S GUEST HOUSE AT THE DIAOYUTAN AND THE RESIDENCE. THEY ARE EQUALLY CONVENIENT FOR THE PRESS. SINCE THE PRIME MINISTER MAY WISH TO MEET THE PRESS ON BRITISH TERRITORY'' AND MAY IN ANY CASE INTEND TO HOLD CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSIONS IN THE CHANCERY LATER ON, THE RESIDENCE WOULD SEEM TO BE THE BETTER CHOICE.

་

2. WE MUST NOT FORGET HONG KONG CORRESPONDENTS IN MAKING PRESS

ARRANGEMENTS. THEY WOULD PROBABLY RESENT BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE

PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING AND THIS COULD GET THE VISIT TO HONG KONG NEXT DAY OFF TO A BAD START. BUT GIVEN THE NUMBER INVOLVED (AROUND 70), IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO INCLUDE THEM ALL, EVEN IF THIS WERE

THOUGHT TO BE DESIRABLE.

3. TWO POSSIBLE WAYS OF BRIEFING THE HONG KONG CORRESPONDENTS ARE:-

(A) IF THEY CAN BE PERSUADED TO ORGANISE A POOL FOR THE VISIT, TO INVOTE POOL MEMBERS TO THE MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER,

(B) TO ORGANISE A SEPARATEMBRIEFING FOR THE HONG KOGN PRESS IN THE EMBASSY AMENITIES HALL, GIVEN BY THE HEAD OF NEWS DEPARTMENT.

IF THE PRIME MINISTER'S PURPOSE IN MEETING THE PRESS IS PRIMARILY

PRESENTATIONAL, OPTION (A) WOULD BE FEASIBLE. IF, HOWEVER, SHE PLANS TO GIVE A SUBSTANTIVE UNATTRIBUTABLE BRIEFING, WE SEE MERIT

CONFIDENTIAL

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