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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2529
OF 1510OOZ NOVEMBER 85
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
267
MY TELNO 2510: JOINT LIAISON GROUP
IN HONG KONG : PRESS HANDLING.
: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
PRESS HANDLING WILL BE AS IMPORTANT, IF NOT MORE SO, THAN AFTER THE FIRST MEETING: THE MORE SO SINCE HONG KONG BASED MEMBERS WILL
THIS TIME BE RETURNING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MEETING AND WILL
BE PUT UNDER IMMEDIATE AND INTENSE PRESSURE AT KAI TAK.
2. OUR APPROACH TO THE ISSUE OF PRESS RELEASES FOLLOWING JLG MEETINGS
STANDS: GENERALLY WE FAVOUR AS FULL A STATMENT AS WE CAN NEGOTIATE.
HONG KONG OPINION IS INSTINCTIVELY SUSPICIOUS OF SEALED LIPS.
A STATEMENT WITH SUBSTANCE HELPS TO DISPEL THE WORST FANTASIES.
THIS APPROACH SERVED US WELL AT THE FIRST JLG AND WE SHOULD WISH, IN PRINCIPLE, TO TRY FOR A SIMILAR RESULT THIS TIME. IT WILL IN
ANY CASE BE NECESSARY TO COVER DEVELOPMENTS AT THE JLG ON THE GATT,
INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND BNO PASSPORTS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
3. THE TRICKY POINT WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. ASSUMING
THE COURSE OUTLINED IN YOUR TELNO 1788, IS PURSUED, IT WILL BE
IMPORTANT TO SECURE A MENTION OF THE SUBJECT, ON OUR TERMS, IN
THE JOINT STATEMENT. IF THE CHINESE SPEAK STRONGLY ON REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT, THIS WILL BE AS PART OF A CONCERTED CAMPAIGN AND WE EXPECT THEM TO LEAK THE FACT THAT THEY RAISED THE MATTER.
THIS WILL NEED TO BE PUT IN PERSEPECTIVE. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES
IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US EITHER TO GO ABOUT WITH SEALED LIPS,
MUCH LESS TO DENY THAT ANY EXCHANGE TOOK PLACE. WE SHALL NEED TO
REASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION WAS NO MORE
THAN THAT.
4. WE SHOULD LIKE TO AIM THEREFORE FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT
STATEMENT OF A SENTENCE OR TWO ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:
''THE TWO SIDES EXCHANGED INFORMATION ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG**,
AB 19/11
CONFIDENTIAL
15.
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