Mr Meyer, News Dept
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RJT McLaren
Date: 6 June 1988
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SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG:
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Many thanks for your minute of 2 June. I will ensure that the various deficiencies in the arrangements (for putting you in touch with local British journalists and for photo opport- unities) during the Secretary of State's visit are drawn to the attention of the Hong Kong Government. I hope that the appropriate lessons will be learned.
2. I agree generally with your comments on the press conference and background briefing, but have some glosses:
(i) Press conference
The main reason why the conference went well was the second reason you give: the Secretary of State was clearly in command of his brief and gave a strong and confident performance. But it has to be recognised that we were quite lucky in the timing of the visit. Attention was focussed on the issue of the Vietnamese Boat People, on which the Secretary of State had a¶ good line, and to a lesser extent on the Basic Law on which he was able (at this comparatively early stage in the consultation process in Hong Kong) to duck detailed questions. There was little time for other questions, and the most contentious of these (repres- entative government) had in any case died down as an issue in the previous few months. In short, I think the press conference could have been considerably more difficult had the visit taken place at most other times in the past year or so.
(ii) Background Briefing
From my own experience in Hong Kong going back some years, I would not disagree with your strictures on the handling of the press by the Hong Kong Government. But they do face problems. There are a few senior editors among the local media people who are generally sensible and responsible and can on occasion be briefed unattributably. But there are not many of them and they do not necessarily speak English; and there is a gulf between these senior people and the great
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