TNAG-1473-FCO40-2004-Visits-by-MPs-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 169

22

CONFIDENTIAL

GPS 480

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKPY 211000Z FCO

TELNO 560

OF 21C92OZ FEBRUARY 86

INFO DESKBY 21100OZ KATHMANDU

KATHMANDU FOR PRIVATE SECRETARY

PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY FPOM GOVERNOR

YOUR TELNO 346 : ROBERT ADLEY

TOP COPY

HRK 027/8

-HOISTRY

21 FEB 1986

* STRY

sation Taken

Двача

1. THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VISIT OF THE GROUP OF 6 MPS WERE MADE

BY BA IN LONDON. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (HKG) WAS INFORMED OF

THE VISIT BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE (HKGO) LONDON ON

22 NOVEMBER 1985. WE AGREED TO OPSAMISE A ONE-PAY PROGRAMME FOR

THE GROUP. SUBSEQUENT CONTACTS WITH CA WERE THROUGH THE HYGO

LONDON. YOU MAY WISH TO CONFIRM THEIP POLE IN THIS DIPECTLY WITH

THE COMMISSIONER. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW OR WHEN NEWS OF THE TRIP

FIRST BECAME PUBLIC, BUT AGREE THAT THIS WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN

DONE BY BA (IN LONDON). YOU CAN NO DOUBT CHECK THIS WITH LORNIE.

I CONFIRM THAT ANN QUON WAS NOT BRIEFED BY ANYONE HERE INVOLVED

WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE WRITING HER 2 FEBRUARY ARTICLE. AS

YOU ARE AWARE, THIS QUOTES FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT CLUB (FCC)

SOURCES. WE BELIEVE THAT SHE HAD ALSO BEEN IN TOUCH WITH BA. I DO

NOT PROPOSE TO ASK THE SCMP HOW THEY HEARD OF ADLEY'S TRIP. SUCH AN

INQUIRY COULD WELL ITSELF BECOME NEWS.

,,

3. SEEN FROM HERE, THE KERNEL OF THE MATTER IS THAT ADLEY HAS SPECIFICALLY ASSERTED IN HIS LETTER TO ME THAT RA TOLD HIM THAT **THEY HAD BEEN ADVISED BY 'OFFICIAL SOURCES' IN HONG KONG THAT HE WAS LIKELY TO RECEIVE A VERY HOSTILE RECEPTION IN HONG KONG AND SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED FROM MAKING THE TRIP. BA HAVE DENIED THIS

BOTH IN LONDON AND HONG KONG. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS

ADLEY HIMSELF WHO LEAPT TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE HKG WAS PEHIND BA'S EFFORTS TO DISSUADE HIN FROM MAKING THE TRIP. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE HERE OF ANY OFFICIAL DRIEFING OF DA OR THE PRESS OF THE KIND ALLEGED BY ADLEY. INDEED, SO FAR AS I CAN ESTABLISH, NO GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE PRESS ABOUT ADLEY'S VISIT BEFORE IT WAS CANCELLED. ON THE OTHER HAND, ANN QUON'S ARTICLE SPECIFICALLY REFERS TO FRIENDS OF ADLEY TRYING TO DISSUADE HIM FROM COMING. (WE UNDERSTAND THIS TO BE A REFERENCE TO BRIAN TISDALL, (A PROMINENT LOCAL SOLICITOR, WHO FOR A SHOPT TIME WROTE A COLUMN IN THE SCMP PLEASE PROTECT). THERE WAS OF COURSE NO NEED TO BRIEF ANYONE ON THE SORT OF RECEPTION THAT ADLEY MIGHT GET FROM THE MEDIA IF HE CAME TO HONG KONC. THE SCUP, FOR EXAMPLE, CARRIED AN ARTICLE O 19 DECEMBER 1965 GIVING THE CRITICAL REACTIONS

1

CONTIDENTIAL

lOF.