TNAG-1590-FCO40-2175-Appointment-of-Sir-David-Wilson-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 23

Acuon Taken

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 100

CONFIDENTIAL

OF 11144OZ JANUARY 86

Q DIST?

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

RESIDENT CLERK PLEASE INFORM WILSON AND LAYDEN A.S.A.P.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW GOVERNOR

4001

REGISTRÉ

13 JAN 1987

1. TVB THIS EVENING CARRIED A LENGTHY REPORT FROM LONDON IN ITS

MAIN NEWS PROGRAMMES (CHINESE AT 11103OZ, ENGLISH AT 11110OZ)

THAT DR DAVID WILSON WOULD BE OFFICIALLY NAMED AS HONG KONG'S NEW

GOVERNOR WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE STATION, QUOTING SOURCES,

SAID IT WAS BELNEVED THAT MRS THATCHER AND SIR GEOFFREY HOWE HAD

MADE THE DECISION ON THURSDAY AFTER THE LATTER'S RETURN FROM

BERMUDA. IT ADDED THAT FINAL APPROVAL BY THE QUEEN WAS NEEDED BEFORE DR WILSON FACED CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE PROCEDURES FOR HIS

SECONDMENT TO HONG KONG AS GOVERNOR. IT SAID THAT SIMULTANEOUS

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE FCO AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE

MADE LATER THIS WEEK AND IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES WOULD SET UP A SATELLITE PRESS

CONFERENCE FOR THE NEWS MEDIA TO TALK TO THE NEW GOVERNOR.

2.

THE TVB REPORTERS (CHEUNG CHI KONG AND BETTY LIU FOR THE

CHINESE AND ENGLISH CHANNELS RESPECTIVELY) WERE PICTURED OUTSIDE

DR WILSON'S RESIDENCE. THEY SAID THEY HAD TELEPHONED HIS HOME

BUT HAD GOT NO ANSWER. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT DR WILSON WAS SPENDING

THE WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY.

3.

TVB ADDED THAT HMG HAD NOT YET INFORMED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

OF THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THE QUEEN HAD NOT YET GIVEN HER

APPROVAL, BUT THAT THE APPOINTMENT WAS EXPECTED TO BE WELCOMED

BY THE CHINESE.

4. A BRIEF PROFILE OF DR WILSON WAS BROADCAST ON BOTH CHANNELS

AFTER THE ABOVE REPORT.

5. IN REPLY TO ENQUIRIES FROM THE MEDIA, WE ARE TAKING THE LINE

THAT ALL REPORTS MUST BE CONSIDERED SPECULATIVE UNTIL AN OFFICIAL

ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE.

AKERS-JONES

HMLNAN

LIMITEO

1038

COPIESTO

HONG KONG GOV OFFICE LONDON

HOL HKD

HOLFEO

HOIPOO

PS

PS| LADY YOUNG Ps/MR RENTON

CHIEF CLERE

MR GILLMORE

MR WILSON.

CONFIDENTIAL

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