UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 695
OF 250743Z APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG
KONG
UNCLASSIFIED
305
004767
MDHIAN 1979
HKB 011/3
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
F A C VISIT TO PEKING: PRESS LINE.
FOLLOWING IS RECORD MADE BY AN EMBASSY MEMBER OF A SHORT FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY THE F A C AT THEIR HOTEL
AT 1230 HOURS LOCAL ON 25 APRIL. OUR REPORT ON THE VISIT FOLLOWS ON 26 APRIL.
BEGINS:
DAVID HOWELL: AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN IN PEKING SINCE SATURDAY. IN THAT TIME WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LONG AND INFORMATIVE MEETINGS WITH SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH HONG KONG. WE HAVE RAISED WITH THEM ALL THE CONCERNS AND ANXIETIES RAISED WITH US IN HONG KONG. IN EVERY CASE THE RESPONSE WE GOT WAS POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING. ON NONE OF THE ISSUE DID WE RECEIVE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE. IN GENERAL, THE WHOLE ATTITUDE IN PEKING TO CARRYING FORWARD THE JOINT DECLARATION IS EXTREMELY POSITIVE. THE CHINESE OFFICIALS SHOWED SENSITIVITY TO THE CONCERNS IN HONG KONG. WE FEEL THAT WHEN WE MAKE OUR REPORT IN LONDON WE MUST INCLUDE THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN CONFIDENCE IN
HONG KONG.
Q. ARE YOU CRITICAL ABOUT CHINESE STATEMENTS WHICH HAVE CAUSED CONCERN IN HONG KONG ?
DH. WORRIES HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. WE HAVE SAID THAT IN FUTURE THE KIND OF THING THAT THE CHINESE HAVE SAID TO US HERE SHOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVELY PROMULGATED IN HONG KONG.
Q. WILL THE F A C REPORT BE CRITICAL OF THE CHINESE ?
DH. I CANNOT ANTICIPATE OUR REPORT. WE MUST WEIGH UP AND ASSESS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD IN HONG KONG AND PEKING AND THE REACTIONS TO POINTS WE MADE TO THE F C O IN LONDON. I CANNOT ANTICIPATE WHAT OUR ASSESSMENT WILL BE.
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