TNAG-1748-FCO40-2467-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 3

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

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23 MAY 1988

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

L

TELNO 1312

OF 20172OZ MAY 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: PRESS BRIEFING

1.

YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS DECIDED, IN ADVANCE OF HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG, TO BRIEF SENIOR

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA. YESTERDAY MORNING HE

SPOKE TO PRESS REPRESENTATIVES, AND ON 23 MAY HE WILL BE SEEING THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA. THE BRIEFINGS ARE

UNATTRIBUTABLE: THAT IS TO SAY ANYTHING THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SAID MAY BE QUOTED BUT ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WILL NOT BE

ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO HIM.

2.

IN HIS BRIEFING YESTERDAY THE SECRETARY OF STATE DREW

ATTENTION TO MISCONCEPTIONS IN BRITISH MEDIA REPORTING ON HONG

KONG. HE RECALLED THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS LEADING UP ΤΟ

THE JOINT DECLARATION AND EXPLAINED HOW WE WERE CONTINUING TO

PURSUE HONG KONG'S INTERESTS WITH THE SAME TENACITY IN WORKING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. HE EXPLAINED

OUR OBJECTIVES IN THE REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND

DREW ATTENTION TO THE FAVOURABLE RESPONSE WHICH THE WHITE PAPER

HAD RECEIVED IN HONG KONG. FINALLY HE EXPLAINED THE VIEW WHICH

WE TAKE OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE PRESENT CONSULTATION EXERCISE IN HONG KONG.

3.

BY ITS NATURE THE BRIEFING WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE

IMMEDIATELY REFLECTED IN THE MEDIA, BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT OVER TIME IT WILL LEAD TO A MORE BALANCED COVERAGE OF OUR POLICY ON

HONG KONG. THE ONLY ECHO OF THE BRIEFING IN THIS MORNING'S PRESS

IS A PIECE IN THE GUARDIAN (WHICH HAD CERTAIN IRONIC OVERTONES).

ITS INFLUENCE WILL WE HOPE FILTER THROUGH TO THE HONG KONG MEDIA,

EVEN THOUGH THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO GO FOR SENIOR

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH PRESS RATHER THAN THOSE STRINGING

DIRECTLY FOR HONG KONG PAPERS.

HOWE

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