TNAG-1755-FCO40-2475-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 85

PS/Lord Glenarthur

HURB

CONFIDENTIAL

hy 40/2

16 JUL 1988

136

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From: RJT McLaren

Date: 12 July 1988

cc: PS

PS/Mr Eggar

PS/PUS

Mr Meyer, News Dept

Mr Teasdale

Mr Hum, HKD

Mr Holt, PRU

HONG KONG DEBATE:

1.

PRESS REPORTS

As agreed, I spoke to Mr George Walden, MP on the telephone this morning. I drew attention to the gloomy and defeatist articles which had begun to appear in the UK press in advance of the House of Commons debate on 15 July.

These reports no doubt reflected the views of the various Hong Kong lobbyists currently visiting the UK but they lacked perspective. Against that background we wondered whether Mr Walden might consider writing an article for the Daily Telegraph. We would not dream of suggesting what he might say but there was no other columnist we could think of who had his knowledge of China and Hong Kong.

2. Mr Walden said he had noticed the articles in the Times and the Independent and agreed that they lacked balance. But he only wrote for the Telegraph two or three times a month and the subjects for his articles had to be agreed with the Editor. He did not normally return to a topic he had already covered (as is the case with Hong Kong). He would, however, be attending an editorial conference on 14 July. If, as was possible, there was a consensus that Hong Kong should be the subject of an editorial he would have an opportunity to give his views as to what it might say. But he would not write the editorial himself.

3. Mr Walden added, rather disappointingly, that he would not be attending the debate on 15 July. He had a constituency commitment to visit a disabled children's

home.

Pandem

RJT McLaren