TNAG-1590-FCO40-2175-Appointment-of-Sir-David-Wilson-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 11

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OCMIAN 9386

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OO HOKON

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

081015Z JAN

GRS 406

HKA 400/1

O IN REGISTRY

13 JAN 1987

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FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 40

OF 0810152 JANUARY 87

INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO LONDON

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DESK OFFICER

'YOLX

RY

PA

Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 017: ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW GOVERNOR:

ARRANGEMENTS

MEDIA

1.

THE ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED IN TUR LOOK SENSIBLE TO US. WE WONDER, HOWEVER, WHETHER IT WOULD NOT BE BETTER TO ASK LOCAL HONG KONG JOURNALISTS TO SUBMIT THEIR QUESTIONS FOR THE SATELLITE-LINK PRESS CONFERENCE IN ADVANCE, IF ONLY BY 24 HOURS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WOULD BE NOT TO CENSOR QUESTIONS BUT TO AVOID A SUCCESSION OF PEOPLE ALL ASKING THE SAME QUESTION, OR VERY SIMILAR ONES, AS HAPPENED AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS

CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG IN OCTOBER. THIS WOULD BE POOR

TELEVISION AND AN UNSATISFACTORY USE OF THE LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE: THE PRESS MIGHT, OF COURSE, BE ENCOURAGED TO ORGANISE THIS FOR THEMSELVES. THERE WOULD, HOWEVER, BE SOME ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE IF WE IN THE FCO COULD HAVE 24 HOURS NOTICE OF AT LEAST THE SUBJECTS ABOUT WHICH QUESTIONS WERE GOING TO BE ASKED, THAT WE COULD BRIEF THE NEW GOVERNOR APPROPRIATELY. GRATEFUL FOR

YOUR FURTHER VIEWS.

2.

SO

ARISING FROM THAT, WE HERE ARE BEGINNING WORK ON A LIST OF POSSIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR THE NEW GOVERNOR'S INITIAL PRESS CONFERENCES. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU COULD DO THE

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