TNAG-1748-FCO40-2467-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 304

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нив

FOR HEAD OF NEWS DEPARTMENT

YOUR TELNO 1212: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT: PRESS ARRANGEMENTS

GENERAL AREAS OF INTEREST TO THE MEDIA THAT MAY BE RAISED AT

THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS CONFERENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS: -

BEGINS

A.

SINO/BRITISH/HK RELATIONS

(1) SUSPICION THAT HMG IS PUTTING ITS INTERESTS AND ITS COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA BEFORE THE INTERESTS OF HK.

(2) WILL HMG STAND UP TO CHINESE INTERFERENCE IN HK?/ WHY HAS HMG KOW-TOWED TO CHINESE PRESSURE ON E.G. DIRECT ELECTIONS?

(3)

WHAT ASSURANCE CAN HMG GIVE HK PEOPLE THAT A SMOOTH TRANSITION

CAN BE ACHIEVED?/WHAT WILL HMG DO TO MAINTAIN PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE

IN THE

TERRITORY?

(4) ANY SIGNIFICANCE IN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CHINESE DELEGATIONS

VISITING UK AND HK?

B

(1)

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

HMG'S VIEWS ON HK CHANGING ITS VR POLICY./ WILL HMG LET HK DECIDE

ITS OWN VR POLICY?/HOW WOULD HMG HELP HK IN ENDING HK'S OBLIGATIONS

AS PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM?

(2) PROGRESS ON NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT REPATRIATION OF VRS./ANY NEW

INITIATIVES FOR DURABLE SOLUTION?/ WILL BRITAIN PRESS FOR INTERNAT-

IONAL CONFERENCE TO SOLVE PROBLEM?

(3) INCREASED INTAKE BY UK?/BRITAIN TO SHARE HK'S FINANCIAL BURDEN?

(4)

HMG'S VIEWS ON COMMON SOUTH-EAST ASIAN APPROACH TO VR PROBLEM.

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