TNAG-1717-FCO40-2397-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 82

CONFIDENTIAL

Telegraph" is, alas, a rare exception.

We shall consider whether

there is any scope for giving informal briefing, on a deeper background basis, to selected correspondents.

It would not be a

matter of revealing sensitive information to them, but rather of explaining the background to the White Paper decisions (and in particular the Chinese dimension) rather more fully and frankly than

In addition to that we can be done at an open press briefing.

shall of course ensure that News Department are in a position to answer fully any questions about the White Paper.

7. The Hong Kong Government will be mounting a major domestic exercise to brief the local media. We shall ask to be sent their briefing material, so as to avoid any inconsistency of approach.

сбони

CO Hum

CONFIDENTIAL